李克强为何力推“中国制造2025”？

Disney is eliminating the standalone Hulu app, reports Variety. Rather than separate Hulu and Disney+ apps, Disney plans to offer a unified streaming app that includes both services.

The new app will debut in 2026, and while it will include both Disney+ and Hulu, customers will still able to buy standalone subscriptions to each service.

"The company is taking major steps forward in streaming with the upcoming launch of ESPN's direct-to-consumer service, our just-announced plans with the NFL, and our forthcoming integration of Hulu into Disney+, creating a truly differentiated streaming proposition that harnesses the highest-caliber brands and franchises, general entertainment, family programming, news, and industry-leading sports content," Disney CEO Bob Iger said of the plan during the company's third quarter earnings call.

Iger claims the combined app will provide an "improved consumer experience" and new opportunities for advertising revenue.

Disney+ and Hulu have a combined 183 million paid subscriptions, up 2.6 million since last quarter.

Social network Instagram today announced several new features designed to help people "better connect" with their friends. There's a "Reposts" feed for reposting public reels and posts, which Instagram says will make it simpler for people to share interests with their friends.

Content that an Instagram user Reposts will be featured in a new Reposts tab that's on the profile page, and Reposts will be shared with friends and followers. Reposts are credited to the original creator, improving post reach.

Instagram is also adding an "Instagram Map," which appears to be similar to the Snapchat map feature. Instagram users can choose to share their last active location with friends, and can look at the map to see what content creators are sharing from "interesting or fun locations." The map can be used for exploring location-based content, and any content tagged with a location can show up on the map.

Location sharing is an opt-in feature, and Instagram users can choose who to share their location with. There are also options for not sharing location in specific places, or with specific people.

Finally, Instagram is adding a Friends tab to Reels, where users can find public content that their friends have interacted with. The Friends tab is located at the top of the Reels interface.

Sonos plans to raise prices for some of its products later this year because of tariff costs, the company said in its third fiscal quarter earnings presentation [PDF].

Sonos manufactures its devices in Vietnam and Malaysia, and the countries are facing tariffs of 20 percent and 19 percent, respectively. In the third fiscal quarter, tariffs cost Sonos $2.1 million, and the company estimated that costs would increase to $5 million in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2025. Sonos said that the estimate for 4Q 2025 reflects the prior 10 percent tariff rate on in-transit inventory that will arrive during the quarter, and future quarters "may differ."

To minimize the impact of tariffs, Sonos says that it will raise prices across its portfolio of products. Sonos also plans to invest in diversifying its geographic footprint to drive growth in the future.

Sonos did not outline which products will see price hikes, but said that the increases will come later in 2025.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Medical technology company Masimo has been facing off with Apple in court since 2020, and while Masimo has scored some wins, it's been an expensive endeavor.

In its quarterly earnings reports, Masimo outlines how much it has spent on litigation. The way Masimo's spending is reported has changed over the last five years, but looking at earnings reports give a general idea of the cost to sue Apple and how those costs can balloon.

Masimo's ITC case against Apple began in 2021, and it ultimately led to an Apple Watch import ban. Apple was forced to remove blood oxygen monitoring from Apple Watches sold in the U.S. in December 2023. Masimo spent $5.5 million on litigation expenses in 2021, followed by $28.7 million in 2022. The company spent over $40 million in 2023, and $70 million in 2024.

In the first quarter of 2025, Masimo spent $19.7 million, and in its second quarter earnings results shared this week, Masimo said it spent $24 million on litigation. Masimo could be on track to spend more in 2025 than it did in 2024, based on its legal costs in the first and second quarters. Right now, Masimo is embroiled in the appeals process with Apple, as Apple launched an appeal in late 2023. Most recently, Apple argued its appeals case to a three-judge panel, though no decision has been made as of yet.

These litigation figures include all of Masimo's legal spending, and not just what the Apple-related costs. The Apple lawsuit is Masimo's most significant legal battle, however, and it likely accounts for most of Masimo's total spending.

In December 2023, then Masimo CEO Joe Kiani told The Wall Street Journal that the legal battle against Apple had cost Masimo around $100 million. Looking at the legal costs Masimo reported in 2024 and 2025, the total could be approaching $200 million.

U.S. President Donald Trump today said that there will be a 100 percent tariff on chips and semiconductors imported into the United States, but with a major exception.

Companies that are building in the United States, or that have made a commitment to build in the U.S., will not have to pay the tariffs. Since Apple pledged to spend $600 billion on U.S. manufacturing, the company will presumably be exempted from the planned chip tariffs.

"If you're building in the United States, or made a commitment to build or are in the process, there's no charge," Trump said. He added that if companies promise to bring manufacturing to the U.S. and don't follow through, tariffs will be "added up" and "charged at a later date."

The Trump administration exempted semiconductors and derivative products like the iPhone from reciprocal tariffs in countries like China and India, but Trump has been promising to levy high fees on chip imports.

Apple sources its chips from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), and there were fears that chip tariffs could have a significant impact on Apple's costs as a result. For now, it looks like Apple is going to avoid any additional tariffs on the chips that it uses for its devices. Trump made the announcement during a White House press event with Apple CEO Tim Cook, where Cook announced an additional U.S. manufacturing investment. There is no word on when semiconductor tariffs will be put in place.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple today said that it would increase its investment in U.S. manufacturing to $600 billion, pledging an additional $100 billion on top of the $500 billion it promised to spend in the U.S. across four years earlier this year.

"Today, we're proud to increase our investments across the United States to $600 billion over four years and launch our new American Manufacturing Program," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "This includes new and expanded work with 10 companies across America. They produce components that are used in Apple products sold all over the world, and we're grateful to the President for his support."

Apple is establishing the American Manufacturing Program (AMP), which the company says is dedicated to bringing advanced manufacturing to the United States. AMP partners include Corning, Coherent, GlobalWafers America, Applied Materials, Amkor, Texas Instruments, Samsung, GlobalFoundries, and Broadcom.

Apple plans to use $2.5 billion of the AMP funding to expand its partnership with Corning. Corning and Apple are working together to create the "world's largest and most advanced smartphone class production line" in Corning's Kentucky factory. Apple says that 100 percent of the cover glass on iPhone and Apple Watch models sold worldwide will be made in the U.S. "soon." Apple and Corning are also going to open an "Apple-Corning Innovation Center" that will develop advanced materials and next-generation manufacturing platforms.

Apple is also working with several other companies to expand U.S. manufacturing, with a full list available on Apple's website.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

In the fifth beta of iOS 26, Apple appears to have subtly upgraded AirPods charging. Code in ‌iOS 26‌ says that the AirPods Charging case "now more clearly indicates charging status," and that the AirPods will remind you when it's time to charge.

A screenshot shared on social media shows an AirPods splash screen with the same wording and an image of what the light on the AirPods charging case means. There are two different shades of amber for Charging and Charge Case, along with a green for Charged status.

The AirPods charging case already uses an amber light when the case is charging and a green light when it's at full charge. When the AirPods case is open and the AirPods are inside, there's a green light that means the AirPods are fully charged and an amber light that means there is less than one full charge remaining.

It may be that the amber light indicating that the AirPods charging case needs to be topped up will show up even when the case is closed, since Apple's wording does suggest that there's something new in ‌iOS 26‌.

In prior ‌iOS 26‌ betas, Apple introduced an iPhone notification that alerts you when the AirPods are in need of a charge. The notification is sent even if the AirPods aren't in active use, so you can charge them up for later.

Apple today announced that its hit original film F1: The Movie will be re-released in select IMAX theaters around the world, due to popular demand. Tickets are on sale now for select IMAX theaters and showtimes beginning this Friday, August 8, and the film will expand to even more IMAX theaters on Friday, August 15.

F1: The Movie is a racing movie with a classic underdog story. In the film, Brad Pitt stars as an F1 driver who was an up-and-coming talent in the 1990s, until an accident nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, he is invited to join a former teammate's struggling F1 team, in a last-shot bid to save the team and become the best in the world.

The film is directed by Joseph Kosinski, who is known for other popular action films, including "Tron: Legacy" and "Top Gun: Maverick."

Apple said that the film has grossed more than $550 million at the global box office since its release in late June, making it the highest-grossing film that Pitt has ever been cast in. IMAX viewers can watch the entire film in an ultra-wide aspect ratio.

Standard showings of the film are still ongoing at many theaters too.

F1: The Movie will be available to stream on Apple TV+ at a later date. In the U.S., Apple TV+ costs $9.99 per month, or $99 per year. The streaming service is available through the Apple TV app on a wide variety of devices, and on the web at tv.apple.com, with a free seven-day trial available. Apple TV+ is also included in all Apple One bundles.

The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device.

Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:

• A slightly larger display
• Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable
• 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2
• Likely a wide-angle OLED display that is brighter when viewed from an angle, and offers a higher refresh rate for the always-on display mode
• S10 chip or newer for faster performance
• Blood pressure monitoring has been rumored, but it might not be ready in time for the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Last year, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 received a black titanium case option, but otherwise the Ultra model has not received any hardware upgrades since 2023.

After a two-year wait, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 should be unveiled in September.

U.S. President Donald Trump is increasing the tariff on goods from India to 50 percent starting on August 27, but Apple's manufacturing in the country won't be affected.

Semiconductors and derivative products like iPhones are already exempt from the existing 25 percent reciprocal tariffs that are in place. According to CNBC, the executive order increasing the tariff rate doubles the 25 percent reciprocal tariff rate to 50 percent, and semiconductors will continue to be exempt.

Apple is already unaffected by the 25 percent reciprocal tariffs in India that were put in place on August 1, and it looks like that's not going to change if and when tariffs increase to the 50 percent mark later in August.

Apple has been shifting a significant portion of its manufacturing from China to India for supply chain diversification and because of U.S.-China trade tensions. Apple partners like Foxconn and Pegatron have established factories in India for assembling the iPhone, and all five iPhone 16 models are assembled in the country for Indian customers and for export to countries like the U.S.

The order that exempts Apple from paying reciprocal tariffs is temporary, and exemptions could change at Trump's whim. Trump has said that no one is "getting off the hook," and that his administration is working on specific semiconductor levies that could impact Apple devices.

Apple is working hard to convince Trump not to subject it to additional tariffs. The company promised to invest $500 billion in U.S. manufacturing earlier this year, and today, Trump is announcing another $100 billion Apple investment in the form of a new U.S.-based Apple manufacturing program. Apple CEO Tim Cook will be present for the announcement.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

The iPhone 17 Pro could start with 256GB of storage as part of a $50 price increase across the lineup this year, a Weibo leaker has suggested.

In a new post, the leaker known as "Instant Digital" reiterated rumors that the iPhone 17 lineup will be announced on Tuesday, September 9 with a $50 price hike across the board, and pondered whether the increase could come hand-in-hand with a storage bump.

Today, the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, and 16 Pro start with 128GB of storage, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts with 256GB of storage. The four models are priced starting at $799, $899, $999, and $1,199, respectively.

In July, Jefferies said that Apple will implement a $50 price increase across the ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup to offset rising component costs and China tariffs. This means the ‌iPhone 17‌, 17 Air, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max will likely be priced at $849, $949, $1,049, and $1,249, if the company's positioning and pricing trends continue.

It's possible that Apple could increase the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌'s base storage to 256GB, bringing it in line with the Pro Max, to help justify its $50 price increase. That would represent an effective price cut of $50 over today's ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ with 256GB of storage and help to simplify the lineup.

Likewise, The Wall Street Journal reported in May that Apple was considering raising prices for its upcoming ‌iPhone 17‌ models. The company reportedly aims to pair the potential price hikes with new features and design changes to justify the increased cost to consumers, rather than attributing them to tariffs.

If you are planning to head to the Apple Park Visitor Center this month, be aware that the rooftop terrace will be temporarily closed.

Apple says the rooftop terrace will be receiving some unspecified "improvements," and it will be closed until Monday, September 1 as a result.

The notice was added to the Apple Park Visitor Center page within the past 24 hours.

When open, the rooftop terrace offers a partial view of Apple Park, and there are tables and chairs for sitting around. It can be reached via stairs or an elevator, and there is also a bathroom on that level. It is unclear what changes are planned.

Tourists headed to the Apple Park Visitor Center still have plenty to do. They can try out the latest Apple products, purchase Apple merchandise, grab a coffee at the on-site Caffè Macs, view a 3D model of the Apple Park campus, get creative with free "Today at Apple" sessions, and stroll through the adjacent "Mirage" public art installation.

Apple Park Visitor Center opened in November 2017. It is located directly across the street from Apple Park, in Cupertino, California.

Thanks, Filip Chudzinski!

Apple is planning to launch a "Liquid Silicone" line of cases for iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a hit-or-miss leaker known as "Majin Bu."

In a blog post today, the leaker shared images of the alleged cases, with some having a ripple effect on the back near the MagSafe charging area. The cases also have multiple cutouts for attaching a lanyard, which may be sold separately.

iOS 26 has a new Liquid Glass design. The leaker said the "Liquid Silicone" cases will have a "Liquid Glass effect" of some kind, but it is not entirely clear what that means.

AirPods Pro 2 charging cases also have a cutout for attaching a lanyard, and the iPod touch once had a built-in mechanism for attaching a lanyard.

The cases are described as "official samples," but we are not entirely convinced that they are actually designed by Apple. Some of the cases shown look rather bulky and low quality, so some skepticism is absolutely warranted here.

Sketchy rumors about iPhone cases are nothing new, and sometimes they do turn out to be at least partially true. There was some skepticism about the "FineWoven" name when it first leaked a few years ago, and the name ended up being real, so we are reporting on the "Liquid Silicone" name just in case that name happens to be the real deal.

"Majin Bu" has a mixed track record with Apple rumors. They were most recently accurate about iPadOS 26 adding a Mac-like menu bar to iPads.

Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series and cases in just over a month from now, so we will not have to wait much longer for official details.

Amazon and Best Buy are both discounting Apple's 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro to record low prices this week, offering $300 off select models of the computer. In this article we're focusing on the 10-core configurations of the computer, but you'll also find sales on other M4 MacBook Pros at both retailers.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Starting with the 10-core 16GB RAM/512GB 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro, you can get this model for $1,299.00 [Amazon/Best Buy], down from $1,599.00. This is the entry-level model of the M4 MacBook Pro, and it's never dropped below this price.

You can also get both 1TB 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro on sale this week. The 10-core 16GB RAM/1TB model is available for $1,499.00 [Amazon/Best Buy] and the 10-core 24GB RAM/1TB model is available for $1,699.00 [Amazon/Best Buy]. Both of these are also $300 discounts and record low prices on each computer.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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President Trump will today announce that Apple will invest an additional $100 billion to support manufacturing in the United States (via Bloomberg).

The announcement is reportedly set to include a new manufacturing program to bring more of Apple's supply chain into the U.S. Apple CEO Tim Cook will appear alongside the President later today.

Apple has already announced $500 billion for US manufacturing over the next four years, including a new server manufacturing plant in Houston, a supplier academy in Michigan, and additional spending with domestic suppliers. Today's $100 billion takes Apple's total commitment to $600 billion.

The Trump administration has had a contentious relationship with Apple, threatening 25% tariffs on the company if it failed to move iPhone manufacturing to the United States. The latest announcement appears to be a detente in the relationship between the administration and the company.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Recent reports have suggested Apple is actively considering bringing cellular connectivity to the Mac lineup as early as next year, but arch rival Microsoft isn't waiting around to find out –?the company is launching its first 5G-enabled Surface laptop this month.

The Surface Laptop 5G is part of Microsoft's Copilot+ PC lineup aimed at business customers, featuring a 13.8-inch display and Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) processors. Microsoft says it has six "strategically placed antennas" that allow it to automatically adjust signal paths and power based on usage. The device includes both Nano SIM and eSIM options, and can also function as a hotspot for other devices.

Starting at $1,700, Microsoft says it will begin shipping its first 5G-enabled Surface laptop on August 26 with support for over 100 carriers worldwide – though its small print notes that 5G will be available "later in 2025."

The Surface Laptop's 5G capabilities come as Apple has begun deploying its custom-built C1 modem chip in some devices. The company introduced a sub-6GHz version of its 5G modem in the iPhone 16e earlier this year and is expected to include it in the upcoming iPhone 17 "Air," which will be unveiled next month.

According to a December report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is "investigating" the possibility of adding a second-generation C2 modem to a future Mac as early as 2026. According to Gurman, Apple's next-generation C2 modem will support faster mmWave technology and is expected to arrive in 2026, debuting in Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models – with inclusion in a Mac potentially shortly after.

Apple has played with the idea of a cellular MacBook for years now. Back in 2007, the company developed MacBook Pro prototypes with integrated 3G connectivity, including a SIM card slot and an extendable cellular antenna along the right side of the lid. Despite these early experiments, Apple never released a MacBook with built-in cellular capabilities. Here's hoping 2026 will be the year it happens.

Steam will stop supporting macOS 11 Big Sur on October 15, 2025, according to Valve, requiring Mac users to upgrade to macOS Monterey or later to continue accessing the gaming platform.

The reason Steam will soon stop working on Big Sur is due to the client's reliance on an embedded version of Google Chrome, which no longer functions on older macOS versions. Future Steam updates will also require security features only available in macOS 12 and above.

Apple also discontinued security updates for Big Sur in 2023, and that's left legacy systems vulnerable to malware that could compromise Steam accounts and game performance. Valve is strongly recommending affected Mac users upgrade before the October deadline.

The announcement comes amid Steam's transition to a native Apple silicon client following Apple's stated plan to phase out Rosetta 2. Valve released the first native beta shortly after WWDC in June, signalling its dedication to continue to support Mac gaming. Testers have generally reported dramatically faster launch times and smoother navigation through the Store and Library.

Not that if you're still running Big Sur, you won't be able to launch Steam or any purchased games after the cutoff date.

Keeping track of missed calls can be challenging if you're juggling several tasks during the day. Thankfully, iOS 26 introduces a streamlined way to set callback reminders directly from the Phone app, making it less likely that you'll forget to return important calls.

Set a Callback Reminder for a Missed Call

When iOS 26 launches this fall (or if you're already on the beta), you'll be able to create callback reminders in the following way:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap the Calls tab, then scroll down to Recents.
3. Swipe left across a missed call, then tap the blue clock icon.
4. Choose one of the following: Remind Me in 1 hour, Remind Me Tonight, Remind Me Tomorrow, Remind Me Later...

That's all there is to it. If you choose Remind Me Later..., you'll see a New Reminder interface where you can customize the reminder's time and date, and also choose which Reminders list it should be added to. The callback reminder will appear in your Reminders app with the contact's name, phone number, and any notes you added.

Managing Call Reminders

All call reminders appear automatically in the Reminders app. You can view, edit, or mark these reminders as complete just like any other reminder. To quickly call someone back from a reminder notification, simply tap the alert and then tap the phone icon in the reminder details.

Note that iOS 26 is currently in beta testing and will be released this fall alongside Apple's new iPhone 17 models, and the exact interface and options may vary slightly in the final release.