Apple

Commotion of Apple links for week ending October 8, 2025

October 8, 2025 • 11 min read

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Oh, Apple…how you disappoint me, sometimes.

Oh, Apple! How you delight me sometimes!

(You'll figure out which reaction applies to what stories.)

Hardware

AirPods Pro 3 Teardown: Still a Tragedy https://www.ifixit.com/News/113507/airpods-pro-3-teardown-still-a-tragedyI’ll give Apple a pass. They’ve made significant improvements in iPhone repairability over the years. And I honestly don’t know how any company can design a device that's this tiny, and also easy-to-repair. Arguably, Apple's solution is to design it so well that it never needs repair, and the life of the battery exceeds the AirPods' useful life.

Apple’s new Crossbody Strap accessory sure seems like a hit https://9to5mac.com/2025/10/03/apples-new-crossbody-strap-accessory-sure-seems-like-a-hit/These accessories are important to Apple. They give the company an opportunity to flex its abilities as a fashion/style designer. And they can’t pass up an opportunity to sell the customer something they might intend to buy after they leave the store with their new phone, from a different maker. Still wondering if an iPhone can be yanked off of this magnetic strap by a vile brigand who zips past on a motor scooter.

iPhone 17 Pro flash issue: users report strange shadows while recording https://www.notebookcheck.net/iPhone-17-Pro-flash-issue-users-report-strange-shadows-while-recording.1131625.0.htmlBut it’s not an “issue.” The LED illuminator is farther away from the camera sensor, which means that photos taken from close-up (which is where the light’s most useful) have shadows that are more more directional and noticeable. It’s not “wrong” by any means. But it’s a change to the signature style of an iPhone photo, which makes me think that Apple's camera team must have debated the choice HARD.

We Asked Audio Pros to Blind Test Headphones. The Results Were Surprising https://www.wired.com/story/we-asked-audio-pros-to-blind-test-headphones-the-results-were-surprising/ Experienced Listeners To Audio tested 7 headphones, priced from “midrange” to “if I left these in an airplane seatback pocket I’d hate myself for a whole year.” AirPods Max was rated a respectable #3. The surprise was that the experts ranked the cheapest pair, the $200 SoundCores, as #1. A good read, even if just to hear these legit pros use slang like “hypeness” and “fun” when describing audio quality. I don't know what these words mean but I want settings for them in the Sound control panel!

*OS+([0-9])

Apple Seeds Second Betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1 and More https://www.macrumors.com/2025/10/06/apple-seeds-ios-26-1-beta-2/Bug fixes, improvements, and refinements. OS 26 is such a big change that it probably won’t have fully settled itself in until the actual arrival of 2026. Some people won’t get over it until (checks chart) Q2 2027? (Written in pencil)

iPadOS 26.1 Beta 2 Reintroduces Slide Over Multitasking https://www.macrumors.com/2025/10/06/ipados-26-1-slide-over-multitasking/Either Apple listened to feedback…or there was some reason they couldn’t or didn’t incorporate that feature at launch. Glad it’s back. Sometimes “multitasking” just means that there’s this one app that I need to keep close at hand, as opposed to a need to squeeze another window onto an iPad Mini.

iOS 26.1 beta 2 makes alarms harder to accidentally dismiss https://9to5mac.com/2025/10/06/ios-26-1-beta-2-makes-alarms-harder-to-accidentally-dismiss/Apple puts the customer over profits. A lesser company would have investigated the UI issue and determined that if something makes the user so angry at having missed their flight/job interview/last moments with a dying pet that they throw their phone into a concrete wall, it's probably going to sell a lot of replacement hardware and extended service plans.

Electron Apps Causing System-Wide Lag on Tahoe https://mjtsai.com/blog/2025/09/30/electron-apps-causing-system-wide-lag-on-tahoe/This is a biggie and The Folks Responsible (likely on the Electron end?) need to fix it fast. Electron is widely ridiculed as the coward’s way to distribute the same app on multiple platforms, but I’ve got three Electron apps in my taskbar right now and I need each of them.

Safari 26 Bug Turns Routine Browsing into a Memory Nightmare https://www.macobserver.com/news/safari-26-bug-turns-routine-browsing-into-a-memory-nightmare/You’re not imagining it. This will be fixed. Then Apple needs to modernize Safari. If Safari were a public bathroom, you’d still need to touch a handle to flush. Yes: ewwww.

10+ macOS Tahoe Features You Might Have Missed https://www.macrumors.com/guide/macos-tahoe-hidden-features/ Great roundup! I’m constantly surprised that there’s so much yet to learn about something I thought I was very familiar with.

Company

Legal experts condemn Apple bowing to White House's request to remove ICE tracking app https://www.npr.org/2025/10/03/nx-s1-5561999/apple-google-iceblock-app-removalUgh. Until Apple shows me its hands are clean, they're filthy. I’ll have more to say about this in a proper blog post.

Creator of ICE agent tracking app asks Apple to rescind ban from online store https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/03/apple-ice-app-trump-bondi.htmlIncludes the email that the App Store sent to ICEBlock’s developer, informing its creator of the app's removal. It's impossible to separate the politics from plain old App Store BS, of course. But this is still another case of the App Store declaring that an app doesn’t violate any App Store rules or policies, until the App Store declares that the app violates App Store rules or policies. Also, this isn't the first time Apple has tried to shield itself from responsibility for a controversial App Store decision by claiming that an app that's under threat was removed simply due to violations of App Store rules. Shame.

Paywalled UK makes new attempt to access Apple cloud data https://www.ft.com/content/d101fd62-14f9-4f51-beff-ea41e8794265It's the same blanket ban as before (they want access to encrypted iCloud backups) but the blanket only covers the UK. The UK is still wrong to make that demand.

Apple can no longer offer Advanced Data Protection in the United Kingdom to new users https://support.apple.com/en-gb/122234Apple Support update, September 23. It's really the only move they could have (or should have) made.

Gurman: Major Apple Leadership Shakeup Impending With John Ternus as Next CEO https://www.macrumors.com/2025/10/06/apple-leadership-shakeup-impending/Mmm. This story has received a level of attention that’s out of proportion to its actual content. There’s a LOT of speculation here. I found two tidbits to be interesting, though. Gurman reports that Apple’s trying to address its institutional-level AI problems by hiring a key exec away from Meta (Apple's pitch: “Imagine you're at a family wedding, and instead of saying that you're unemployed because you just got out of prison, you can tell people where you actually work…with pride”). He also notes that Apple PR has been putting Apple’s SVP of Hardware out before audiences a lot recently, which I suppose could indeed be interpreted as "runwaying." Could still mean nothing, and probably does. And yet: interesting gossip.

Apple, Google, Meta must face lawsuits over casino-style gambling apps https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/apple-google-meta-must-face-lawsuits-over-casino-style-gambling-apps-2025-09-30/About freaking time. This suit isn't about sports gambling apps (the very worst), but gambling apps of all kinds are downright sickening. They’re engineered to convert Curious and Casual users into gambling addicts, and they do it with a horrifying amount of zeal, innovation, efficiency, and success. Apple, Google, et al should be ashamed for platforming them. But, hey, ICEBlock (a free app that generates no revenue for Apple) is the real danger. The defendants invoked Section 230 protections. The judge refused to toss the suit, on the basis that by collecting transaction fees for in-app purchases, they weren't passive bystanders.

Epic Games says Apple’s new install process cuts user drop-offs by 60% https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/01/epic-games-says-apples-new-install-process-cuts-user-drop-offs-by-60/Apple “complied” with a judge’s order in a dismissive and petulant manner that virtually guaranteed a response from Epic Games and a slapdown from the judge. Apple then implemented a less jerkwaddy set of changes to the App Store. And whaddya know: the post-jerkwad numbers show that Apple’s original compliance scheme was wildly obstructive and obnoxious.

EEOC Sues Apple for Religious Discrimination and Retaliation https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-sues-apple-religious-discrimination-and-retaliation Former Apple Store employee claims that Apple refused to schedule him around his reasonable requests to attend religious services, and then fired him after he kept asking. Not all actions from US government labor cops are significant; sometimes the action is just a procedural step forward through the bureaucracy. But this one isn’t that. The EEOC investigated a serious complaint; verified everything; agreed that Apple violated the law; tried to mediate a solution between Apple and the employee; and then, after that failed…boom.

Vision Pro

Paywalled Apple Shelves Vision Headset Revamp to Prioritize Meta-Like AI Glasses https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-01/apple-shelves-vision-headset-revamp-to-prioritize-meta-like-ai-smart-glassesIf true, I think this makes sense: the smart glasses project has (calculating…) exactly a googleplex times more potential than AR-style Vision goggles It makes sense to shift Apple’s limited resources towards a product with a brighter future. Mind you, I have a core belief that VR headsets and even smart glasses might never find acceptance with consumers at anything near the scale of smartphones or smartwatches, which is what Apple requires. These products are being built on the faith that the puck will, one day, be at the place where Apple decided to skate to (at terrific expense). I believe that mainstream success for these kinds of devices is possible, but it's absolutely not inevitable.

New research may lead to brain-controlled Apple Vision Pro without surgery https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/10/03/new-research-may-lead-to-brain-controlled-apple-vision-pro-without-surgery Aww, but having copper wires driven into my brain was the part of controlling a computer with my thoughts that I really, really liked! (OK, sorry.) This is early experimentation but it’s exciting, and if it succeeds, the benefits will be extraordinary. The eternal unanswered question surrounding this category of tech is "What happens to the wiring left behind inside the brain after the device (or the company that made it) ceases to function?”

Showbiz

'A Modern MTV': Apple Music Chief On The Streaming Service, Beats, And More https://www.bgr.com/1984497/apple-vp-oliver-schusser-interview-apple-music-beats/Apple Music is a special thing in Apple’s portfolio. It might be their only product where they’re a severe market underdog, and they’re very, very hungry to gain as much share as they can. Apple normally makes decisions with the goal of maximizing their revenue per customer, instead of maximizing the number of customers.

We took a tour of Apple Music’s futuristic L.A. studio–check out these gorgeous photos https://www.macworld.com/article/2928688/exclusive-inside-apple-musics-futuristic-los-angeles-studio.htmlApple’s been giving a lot of facility tours recently. It’s like “MTV Cribs,” except the property and its contents are actually owned by the celebrity who’s giving the tour.

Apple Mocks Windows PCs in Humorous New 'Blue Screen of Death' Ad https://www.macrumors.com/2025/10/07/apple-blue-screen-of-death-ad/I love Apple’s “The Underdogs” series of promo videos. They’re funny, they’re on-point, they’re well-made and well-acted, and despite the goal of making Apple look good and other companies look bad…dang, they’re very fair. I say this without a drop of sarcasm: I want a “The Underdogs” Holiday Special. I want crossovers with Severance and Slow Horses and other parts of the Apple Cinematic Multiverse.

Apple TV+ is the exclusive streaming home for Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the gang until 2030, with extended Peanuts partnership https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/news/2025/10/apple-tv-is-the-exclusive-streaming-home-until-2030/ “Peanuts” is 75. Apple marks the anniversary by re-upping their partnership with Charles Schulz’ studio. It’s a close involvement with people who care deeply about the legacy of the characters and their creator. I like that. Still, I'm getting concerned that what they’re doing with the characters is…mundane. “Animated stories for kids, starring the ‘Peanuts’ characters” as opposed to “‘Peanuts’ stories, told in animation.”

Misc

Rivian CEO Explains Why Apple CarPlay Doesn’t Fit Its Vision https://www.macobserver.com/news/rivian-ceo-explains-why-apple-carplay-doesnt-fit-its-vision/More great conversation about the complicated dance between Apple CarPlay and car designers. Here's another CEO who raises sensible, basic questions regarding style, function, and engineering. The car companies have selfish motives for keeping Apple's persnickety privacy policies out of their cars, but that isn't the only thing at play, here.

Paywalled Jony Ive Says He Wants His OpenAI Devices to ‘Make Us Happy’ https://www.wired.com/story/sam-altman-and-jony-ives-ai-device-dev-day/At an OpenAI developer event, Ive said he wants the product to “make us happy, and fulfilled, and more peaceful, and less anxious, and less disconnected.” I know, he was speaking casually. But after a lifetime of experience following the development of tech products and their foundational philosophies, I can’t help but hear this with an angry emphasis on the word “MAKE,” accompanied by the pounding of a calfskin-gloved fist onto an oak table at which a dozen cowering minions are seated. It’s reminiscent of how a Visionary will say “We’re going to give every student an AI-powered tablet” instead of asking “How can we help students and teachers?”

All Affinity apps are now free for the iPad - for now https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/10/02/all-affinity-apps-are-now-free-for-the-ipad---for-nowGet in on this. These are terrific apps. It’s rumored that Affinity is introducing some Big New Updates at the end of the month and, consequently, they're happy to give away the old and obsolete stuff for a couple of weeks. You have to activate the app through Affinity. I imagine the influx of signups will help start customer relationships that'll pay off with purchases of the new stuff, in time. Anyway, this might go away soon, so grab it while you can.