We’ve seen a couple of rare Apple Computer Company checks from the 70s go up for sale this year. Now an interesting one is up for grabs – a Steve Jobs-signed check to then electronics leader RadioShack. Fascinatingly, this check has a connection to the origin story of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak’s first partnership before Apple.

Based on the latest reporting, Apple and Goldman Sachs are planning to part ways sometime next year, ending their partnership that currently consists of Apple Card and Apple Card Savings Account. American Express has been rumored to be one of the companies potentially interested in taking over Apple Card.

In a recent interview, Amex CEO Steve Squeri offered some details on what the company looks for in these types of partnerships.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro are Apple’s latest and greatest devices. While the iPhone 15 Pro is naturally more feature-rich and powerful, it may be overkill for many. And the iPhone 15 has gained pro features of its own this year like the Dynamic Island, 48MP main camera, and more. Follow along for a deep dive into the iPhone 15 vs 15 Pro for all the differences and advice on which to buy for yourself or someone else.

Even before Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 9, there were rumors that the company wanted to replace its leather accessories with something else. I was a bit skeptical about this since I’ve always been a fan of Apple Watch leather bands. In September, Apple announced the new FineWoven accessories. Now, I’ve finally decided to try the FineWoven Apple Watch band. Is it better than the leather band?

iOS 17.2 beta release candidate is here with a few surprise changes in store, while Apple formally retires the iTunes TV Shows and Movies apps in tvOS. An impressive new app called Beeper brings iMessage to Android in the right way. There’s also talk of an Apple-Paramount streaming bundle, and the M3 MacBook Air might be released sooner than we thought. Benjamin and Chance discuss it all.

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First announced at WWDC 21, Xcode Cloud is Apple’s continuous integration system for developers. In 2022, we saw Apple expand the availability to all developers and offer 25 free compute hours of service per month. Now, Apple has announced it is extending the free compute hours of Xcode Cloud for all registered Apple Developers indefinitely.

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

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Apple has just seeded developer beta and public beta testers with the second macOS Sonoma 14.2 release candidate this week. The build increases from version 23C63 to version 23C64. Release notes follow:

Final Cut Pro 10.7 has several noteworthy additions, but automatic timeline scrolling is hands-down the headline feature in this release. Automatic timeline scrolling does just as its name implies – moving the timeline automatically as playback commences. However, this new feature involves much more than just timeline scrolling.

As you’ll see in my hands-on video walkthrough, there’s much more to consider here, including that both clip previews and audio waveforms are generated in real-time during playback, the timeline intelligently pauses when performing clip adjustments, and you can quickly toggle the feature with a keyboard shortcut. Watch my latest video, and subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Final Cut Pro content and tutorials.

Mammoth is making no bones about it. The Mastodon client for iPhone strives to be good enough to viably replace Twitter/X. Mammoth 2 is taking on the challenge with curated Smart Lists with content to follow based on category, a For You timeline, and much more.

Thursday has a fresh batch of discounts now live with a chance to save $269 on Apple’s 13-inch M2 MacBook Air at $830. It comes joined by a batch of our favorite iPhone 15 chargers marked down from $11 courtesy of the new Anker Nano lineup. Plus, these stylish iPhone 15 aluminum bumper cases from Arc are now 15% off for the first time. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

Screens, the excellent VNC remote desktop app for Apple devices, has finally gone universal with Screens 5. The new version launched this week, making Screens easier to discover on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Screens 5 also introduces new toolbar controls on iPhone and iPad, Mac lock screen enhancements, and better ways to organize remote desktops.

Following up on last year’s report “The Rising Threat to Consumer Data in the Cloud”, Apple has shared a new study from MIT’s Dr. Madnick that looks at how cyber threats are growing worldwide. Read on for a look at the state of online security and what we can do to limit our exposure and risk like using Apple’s Advanced Data Protection.

Apple’s Podcasts app appears to be coming to Tesla infotainment systems as an independent app in an upcoming software update, according to a new leak. This officially puts the Apple Podcasts app experience everywhere but Android.

Go ahead and mark your 2024 calendars for February 21. That’s when the new psychological thriller “Constellation” premieres on Apple TV+. The series stars Noomi Rapace (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) and Jonathan Banks (“Breaking Bad”) and is described as a conspiracy-based space adventure.

Yesterday, it was revealed for the first time that governments around the world have been “spying” on iPhone users via push notifications. Apple confirmed the news in a statement, saying that “the federal government prohibited us from sharing any information” until the news became public.

Apple has since also updated its “Legal Process Guidelines” to acknowledge that push notification information is something government and law enforcement agencies can request.

The stock head unit with wired CarPlay in my 2017 Honda Civic EX recently gave up the ghost. The most affordable solution was a greatly upgraded aftermarket head unit from a brand called JOYING. It’s a 9-inch display with wireless CarPlay, a volume knob, and a design made for 10th-gen Honda Civics. It retails well below $500 and is worth every penny.

Siri is rumored to be getting an overhaul next year as part of a wider AI features initiative inside Apple. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today posits that this goal may also be having implications on hardware design, in a post on his Medium blog.

Kuo says that all iPhone 16 models, expected to arrive in fall 2024, will feature significantly upgraded microphone hardware. The new mics will pick up the user’s voice better, helping improve the accuracy of dictation and Siri voice commands.

Since Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite feature debuted alongside the iPhone 14 last year, there have been a number of stories about the feature being used in the real world. A new report from Backpacker this week offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the iPhone’s Emergency SOS via satellite feature has impacted search and rescue operations in Los Angeles County.

A veteran Apple executive responsible for a myriad of features over the years is departing the company. Bloomberg reports that Steve Hotelling, who worked on key technologies like the iPhone’s multitouch screen, Touch ID, and Face ID, is retiring from Apple.

Yesterday, Apple revealed that next week’s iOS 17.2 update will bring support for Qi2 wireless charging to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14. There were, however, some questions about whether older iPhones would be capable of unlocking 15 W charging speeds with Qi2. At least one accessory maker has now addressed those concerns.

Tracking a bike ride natively on iPhone is now possible with iOS 17 and Apple Watch with watchOS 10. The handy new feature makes use of Live Activities for a seamless experience to view heart rate, speed, distance, elevation, and more. Here’s how to see Apple Watch cycling metrics live on iPhone.