Spotlight on the Mac is a universal search bar, available everywhere, ready to quickly launch an app or find a file. And in macOS 26 Tahoe, Apple supercharged Spotlight by adding many advanced features.

Spotlight has a new visual interface for browsing apps on your Mac. It’s also a powerful tool for running Shortcuts and actions inside the apps you use. And, finally, it’s a clipboard manager, too.

Here are the ins and outs of Spotlight on the Mac.

Apple dropped a teaser video for Powerbeats Fit, wireless earbuds the company has not yet formally announced, on Thursday. Details remain sketchy, but video of athletes wearing the in-ear audio devices revealed a bit about the hardware.

The video promises that Powerbeats Fit will be “fit for every move” when they launch this fall.

Say you’re in the kitchen and you hear an alarm going off on the iPad in your living room. Rather than walking across the house to deactivate it, you can use Siri on your iPhone or HomePod to shut off the alarm. This method also works with timers (and a variety of devices, too).

Here’s how to do a handy trick that everyone should know.

EarFun Tune Pro noise-canceling headphones knocked my socks off when they came out, rivaling pricier sets like Beats Studio Pro. And now an EarFun Tune Pro headphones deal at Amazon puts them at just $55.99. That’s 38% off the regular price of $89.99.

They’re affordable even at their regular price. But at an incredibly low price of $56, they’re a steal — and worthy of being your audio daily drivers, not just backups.

Love doesn’t have to be complicated. I can fall for a product just because it’s simply perfect, even though what it does isn’t very complex. That’s what happened with the new Casemade Leather Laptop Case.

It’s made of top-quality cowhide leather, with a wool interior… including a pocket. It zippers closed and cushions the computer without unnecessary bulk.

I’ve been happily carrying my notebook in this case because it’s simply beautiful and designed exactly right for what it does.

August 28, 1991: Astronauts send the first email from space using a Macintosh Portable and AppleLink software.

Sent by the crew of the Atlantis space shuttle, the message reads, “Hello Earth! Greetings from the STS-43 Crew. This is the first AppleLink from space. Having a GREAT time, wish you were here,…send cryo and RCS! Hasta la vista, baby,…we’ll be back!”

The just-launched Zagg Slim Book mini acts as a protective case for the latest iPad mini, but that’s only the start. It also adds a detachable keyboard that makes the tablet ready for serious productivity.

“With the Slim Book mini, we’ve taken the performance and typing experience people expect from a full-size laptop and packed it into a sleek, portable keyboard built specifically for the iPad mini,” said Brad Bell, SVP of global marketing for Zagg.

Switching to an AI speech-to-text tool could be the best productivity shift you make. VoiceType AI is a desktop-based dictation tool that turns your spoken words into clear, well-formatted text with 99.7% accuracy.

Most people type at around 40 words per minute. But VoiceType AI captures speech at up to 360 words per minute, giving you a serious productivity boost without sacrificing quality.

And right now, it costs just $39 for a lifetime subscription (regularly $154).

The graphic in the invitation to Apple’s upcoming “Awe dropping” product launch event looks like a thermal image, and that set off furious speculation Tuesday about whether it’s a hint about a feature coming to one of the many products expected to debut that day.

Could it refer to a way to cool the iPhone 17 Pro? Or a new Apple Watch sensor? Something else?

Apple sometimes uses its event invitations to hint about what it will announce, so it’s possible the company is clueing us in.

August 27, 1999: Apple Computer swaps out the striped, multicolored logo the company had used since 1977 for a new single-color version. The evolution of the iconic Apple logo from rainbow to monochrome shocks many longtime fans.

However, it is part of a sustained, company-wide overhaul led by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The makeover includes new products, the “Think Different” ad campaign and, eventually, the removal of the word “Computer” from the company’s name.

Apple Music Radio expanded its reach beyond its own app for the first time, partnering with digital radio platform TuneIn to distribute six curated radio stations to 75 million monthly active listeners starting Wednesday, according to a new report.

Two new Bluetooth trackers offer big improvements over the company’s previous models while maintaining compatibility with Apple’s Find My network, Chipolo said Wednesday. The Loop and Card trackers, both priced at $39, add rechargeable batteries and double their previous Blueooth range to 400 feet.

Wrap the brand-new GameSir X5s around your iPhone to play high-end games. But that’s only the start — the controller also works with iPad, Nintendo Switch, PC and Android.

It’s lightweight with a portable design but includes Hall Effect sticks and triggers, a gyroscope and rumble motors.

Even better, the GameSir X5s costs under $50.

Everyone knows that when you need to get a serious report or presentation done, you’ll be reaching for Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Office. With this Microsoft Office Professional and Adobe Acrobat Classic bundle, you get a lifetime license to Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and five more Office apps, plus a three-year subscription to Adobe’s powerful PDF reader and editor.

Right now, it’s on sale for just $89.99 — an 83% discount off the MSRP of $543.99.

You can combine two or more emoji into your own custom creation in iOS 26 using Apple’s upgraded Genmoji tool. In my testing, it’s great at adding sunglasses and cowboy hats to other emoji. It’s also pretty good at converting ordinary yellow-face emoji into cats, frogs, skulls, etc.

You can easily make a pumpkin cowboy, keyboard cat, pregnant Santa, banana phone or Easter Island statue snowman … the possibilities are endless. Well, not entirely endless — as fun as it would be to play geopolitics by combining national flags, all the flag emoji are restricted.

The best Apple Intelligence feature gets even more fun in iOS 26. Here’s how to use Genmoji‘s fun new feature.

One version of the invitation to Apple’s September 9 “Awe dropping” product launch event includes an Easter egg. Run your finger around on the Apple logo displayed on a touchscreen, and it’ll react.

It’s the latest in a series of Easter eggs hidden in Apple invitations.

Invitations went out Tuesday for a much-anticipated Apple press event on September 9. The theme is “Awe dropping,” and the unveiling of the iPhone 17 series should be the highlight.

Also likely on the agenda are the launch of Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3.

August 26, 1991: In their first joint interview, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates trade barbs and debate “the future of the PC” in Fortune magazine.

The spirited discussion marks 10 years since the first IBM PC shipped. The piece also looks at what the future holds for both men — described as the former “boy wonders of computing, now thirtysomething.”

Accessory maker Plugable just launched a collection of USB-C data-blocker charging cables. The cables transfer only power, not data, and therefore prevent “juice jacking” attacks at public charging ports.

The cables handle up to 240W and come in variety of lengths. Plus, a launch deal drops the prices!

With the launch of Apple Watch Series 11 likely just weeks away, rumors about what to expect remain surprisingly rare. Still, we know a fair amount about what’s coming, based on watchOS 26 and Apple’s usual moves. Additionally, some rumored Apple Watch Ultra 3 features might arrive on the regular model, too.

So, will Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 bring only minor upgrades, as in the last few years? Or will 2025 be the year Apple recaptures the buzz surrounding its smartwatch, adding exciting new features?

Here’s what we know about Apple Watch Series 11 so far.

Apple significantly expanded availability of its Apple Music migration tool, bringing the service to the United States and eight other major markets this week after months of limited testing. It helps users transfer their music libraries from competing streaming services like Spotify.

As rumors continue to swirl about Apple’s potential entry into the smart glasses market, xMEMS Labs plans to unveil innovations that could address some of the biggest challenges facing next-generation wearable devices, the company said Tuesday. At September events it will roll out new xMEMS Labs smart glasses prototypes featuring ultra-thin speakers and active cooling technology that promise to make AI-powered eyewear more comfortable and practical for everyday use.

Elon Musk’s xAI filed a lawsuit on Monday against Apple and OpenAI claiming they’re conspiring to stifle competition in artificial intelligence apps.

This comes two weeks after Musk took to social media to complain that the No. 1 Top Free App in the iPhone App Store at the time was OpenAI’s ChatGPT, not the Grok app from xAI, an AI startup that the billionaire owns.

August 25, 1995: Apple releases the PowerBook 5300, the Mac laptop that will save the world from alien invaders in the 1996 blockbuster movie Independence Day.

The computer will make many more big-screen appearances, too. See some of the laptop’s most high-profile Hollywood cameos below.

The iPhone 17 is less than a month away, and early rumors are already stirring excitement. It may be Apple’s basic model, but it’s still expected to get a better, larger screen, enhanced selfie camera, as well as a faster processor and a new range of color options.

Those interested in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max should read our roundup of rumors describing those premium models. And we have an iPhone 17 Air rumor roundup, too. Plus one for the budget iPhone 17e.