On its fiftieth anniversary, Apple is included in a list of Iranian targets, Google launches an import tool for Gemini to facilitate switching from ChatGPT, Claude, and others, enables a “Live Translate” feature via any type of wireless headphones, allows changing your email address, two new apps from Apple, the all-new iPhone 20 design, an AI-powered Shortcuts app, an engineer restores the Lightning port to the iPhone 17 Pro, and other exciting news on the sidelines…
Apple begins selling refurbished MacBook Pro M5 and iPad 11 at lower prices
Apple has announced the addition of the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip and the iPad 11 to the refurbished products section of its online store at discounted prices. These devices are currently available in the United States, Canada, the UK, and a large number of European countries.
The price of the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip starts at $1,359 for the version with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of storage. The refurbished iPad 11 starts at just $299, which is $50 less than its regular price of $349. Apple offers other options with larger storage capacities and versions that support cellular connectivity. Discounts on refurbished devices are usually around 15 percent. The MacBook Pro M5 arrived in October 2025, while the iPad 11 was released in March 2025. The buyer receives a full one-year warranty just like new devices, along with all accessories, and AppleCare+ can also be purchased for them. Apple carefully inspects, repairs, and cleans these devices to ensure they are identical to new ones.
iPhone keyboard update for easier and smarter typing
New reports indicate that the iOS 27 update may bring significant improvements to the keyboard to make it smarter in assisting users. Instead of just correcting simple spelling errors, the keyboard will be able to suggest better alternative words that fit what you are writing, just like advanced tools that help improve and draft texts. Apple is expected to use artificial intelligence technologies to make this feature useful for everyone, facilitating the messaging process and expressing thoughts more clearly, pending the official announcement of these features later this year.
Emergency security update for iOS 18
Apple has released an essential and exceptional security update for iPhone users who are still using previous versions of the operating system such as iOS 18, to protect them from a hacking threat known as (DarkSword). This threat could allow hackers to take control of the device if malicious websites are visited, which prompted the company to act quickly to ensure user privacy and data security. Although Apple always recommends moving to the latest available system for the best protection, it provided this update to ensure everyone’s safety, so it is highly recommended to install it immediately to avoid any digital risks your device may face.
Apple CEO explains the importance of dialogue with political leaders
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, explained that his continuous communication with leaders and officials, including President Trump, stems from his belief that sitting at the dialogue table is the best way to convey viewpoints rather than just criticizing from a distance. Cook emphasized that Apple’s core values, such as protecting the privacy of its device users and caring for the environment, remain the priority in these discussions, noting that his goal is to focus on practical issues that matter to people. Communicating with those who hold different opinions contributes to solving problems and avoiding divisions, which ultimately benefits everyone.
Apple celebrates its golden jubilee: 50 years of innovation and success
Apple is celebrating 50 years since its founding in a special way, as its CEO Tim Cook sent a thank-you message to everyone who contributed to this success, emphasizing that the company is always focused on the future and delivering everything new. These celebrations included impressive art events in major cities around the world such as New York, London, and Shanghai, as an expression of gratitude to the millions of people who have made the company’s products an essential part of their daily lives.
The celebrations were not limited to the public, but also included company employees who received commemorative gifts and attended a private concert at the company’s headquarters. Apple’s website was also decorated with videos summarizing the long fifty-year journey, making this event a moment of pride in what the company has achieved in the world of technology, and its continuous pursuit of developing its devices and other services to meet the aspirations of everyone everywhere.
Engineer restores the Lightning port to the iPhone 17 Pro
In a playful move that coincided with the beginning of April, an innovative engineer designed a special case for the “iPhone 17 Pro” that restores the old Lightning charging port that Apple used in previous years. This project came as a sarcastic response to the requests of some followers, as the engineer demonstrated his skill in making this port work in a real and full capacity with the modern phone. Despite the precision of the design and the difficulty of its implementation, the engineer confirmed that it is just a piece of art for fun and he does not intend to sell it to the public, showing how strange ideas can be turned into a tangible reality in an innovative and entertaining way.
Apple included in a list of Iranian targets
News reports indicate that Iranian authorities have issued warnings in which they consider Apple and a group of major American companies as potential targets in light of current political tensions. These reports claim that these companies, which also include famous names like Google, Microsoft, Tesla, and others, may work for the US government, which placed them on a list that includes several entities that may be targeted. This news illustrates how international conflicts can affect global tech companies whose products we use in our daily lives.
The report stated that a Telegram post listed 18 companies that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard considers “legitimate targets,” including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Meta, IBM, Cisco, Tesla, Boeing, Nvidia, J.P. Morgan, and others.
Google finally allows changing your email address
Google has announced a long-awaited new feature that allows users to change their primary email address in (Gmail) without having to create a new account. This step is considered an ideal solution for those who chose informal names in the past and now wish to replace them with more professional and formal names. More importantly, all your messages, photos, and stored files will remain completely safe and you will not have to move your data from one place to another; you can also return to your old address if you change your mind.
This feature has started appearing for account users in the United States, and it allows changing the address once a year, with a maximum of three times in total. What is special about this is that your old address will remain yours and will work as an additional address, so that any messages sent to it will arrive normally in your new inbox, ensuring you stay in touch with everyone without losing any important correspondence. Whether you use Google services via a computer or an “iPhone”, this feature will make managing your personal account more flexible and easier.
“Shortcuts” app will become smarter and easier thanks to artificial intelligence
Apple is preparing to add a revolutionary feature in its upcoming system update (iOS 27), which allows the “Shortcuts” app to design automated tasks for you instead of you having to go through complex programming steps. Thanks to new artificial intelligence technologies, you will be able to simply give a voice or written command in the normal language we use daily, and the iPhone will understand your request and build the appropriate shortcut for you immediately, whether you want to organize your messages or control your smart home devices. This development will make taking advantage of the phone’s advanced features a simple matter available to everyone, without the need for any prior technical experience.
Exciting leaks about the all-new iPhone 20 design
New reports talk about Apple’s intention to launch a special version of the iPhone to mark the twentieth anniversary of its appearance, where it is expected to come with a revolutionary design featuring a curved screen and very thin bezels that we have not seen before. This design aims to make the screen cover almost the entire front, giving the phone a sleek and attractive look that makes using and browsing it an enjoyable experience and completely different from the models we use today.
Although the company wants to hide the front camera completely under the screen, it is still working on solving technical challenges to ensure that the image quality remains clear and sharp. If this complex technology is not completed, the new iPhone may appear with a much smaller camera cutout than it is now, with the development of advanced security systems for facial recognition. This special edition is expected to see the light in 2027, to serve as a technical celebration that combines the beauty of form with the latest technology in phones.
Miscellaneous News
◉ Apple has started selling AirPods Max 2 in many of its stores around the world, and customers can now pick them up on the same day or get them via delivery. The new headphones feature the advanced H2 chip, providing noise cancellation that is 1.5 times better compared to the previous generation, with higher sound quality and useful features such as adaptive audio and live translation. It also contains a remote camera control feature to take photos and start or stop recording with a single press on the Digital Crown, its battery lasts up to 20 hours, and it is available in the same colors and previous price of $549 in America.
◉ Apple released the first software update for the AirTag 2, which it launched in January 2026, raising the version from 3.0.41 to 3.0.45. This update improves the alert sound when unwanted tracking is detected, making it easier to find the device using the Precision Finding feature, in addition to fixing some bugs and other improvements. You can check the update version through the Find My app, and it is installed automatically via the iPhone without the need for any special action.
◉ “Mark Gurman” expects the first foldable iPhone to be the most prominent shift in the series’ history, as it will come with a design that opens like a book with an internal screen of 7.7 inches and an external one of 5.3 inches. The device will run on the iOS 27 system, which is developed to support multitasking, and will include a fingerprint sensor (Touch ID) in the power button instead of Face ID, with advanced technologies to reduce screen creasing. It is likely to be unveiled next September in conjunction with the iPhone 18 series, with a price starting at approximately $1,999, with the possibility of its availability in markets being delayed compared to other models.
◉ Apple intends to launch two new apps this year; the first is the “Apple Business” app on April 14 to replace previous platforms and provide employees with work tools and technical support (requires iOS 26). The second is a new app for “Siri” that provides an interactive experience similar to “ChatGPT” via voice and text with a conversation history saving feature, and it is expected to be available with the subsequent iOS 27 update, representing a major step for Apple in the fields of business and artificial intelligence.
◉ Apple has appointed “Lilian Rincon,” a former Google executive, as Vice President of AI Product Marketing, in a move aimed at making up for the company’s lag behind its competitors. Rincon will oversee the strategies of AI platforms and the development of the upcoming Siri version in the iOS 27 system, which will turn into an advanced chatbot to compete with tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. These fundamental updates are expected to be unveiled during the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which will begin on June 8, 2026.
◉ Leaker “Ice Universe” reported that the iPhone 18 series will get a smaller “Dynamic Island” across all its models, while maintaining the same screen bezels of the iPhone 17 series without change. Apple will also follow a new launch strategy involving the models; where the Pro models and the foldable iPhone will be unveiled in the fall, while the launch of the regular iPhone 18 will be delayed until the beginning of the following year.
◉ The “Google Translate” app has enabled the “Live Translate” feature for iPhone users via any type of wireless headphones, allowing speech to be translated in real-time into more than 70 languages. Google’s feature excels in its flexibility, as it works with all headphones without restrictions, unlike Apple’s feature which requires specific AirPods models; however, Google’s cloud version raises questions about privacy compared to Apple’s processing which is done entirely on-device. The feature is now available for free in several countries as part of the latest app update.
◉ Apple has granted iPhone designers huge financial bonuses of up to $400,000 in the form of stock that vests over 4 years, with the aim of retaining its talent and preventing them from moving to competitors, especially OpenAI, which has recruited more than 40 former Apple employees, including former design chief “Jony Ive.” This step reflects Apple’s effort to ensure the stability of its engineering teams in the design, hardware, and software sectors in the face of job temptations from artificial intelligence companies.
◉ Google has launched a new import tool for the “Gemini” platform to facilitate switching to it from competitor apps such as ChatGPT and Claude; the tool allows transferring “memory,” personal preferences, and context to ensure continuity without starting from scratch. The feature works by importing a summary of preferences or the full conversation history in (ZIP) format, which enables users to search their previous conversations and continue them directly within Gemini.
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