2026-04-10 22:05:40
This week we began tracking one of the best deals of the year so far, with $150 off nearly every model of Apple's new M5 MacBook Air. You'll find these sales below, plus great discounts on the 2026 MacBook Pro, AirPods Max 2, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and a few Samsung markdowns to celebrate the launch of the new Frame Pro.
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.
2026-04-10 20:45:36
Google has expanded Gmail's end-to-end encryption for Workspace users to iOS and Android, allowing mobile users to compose and read encrypted messages natively within the Gmail app for the first time.
The feature is part of Gmail's client-side encryption (CSE) offering, which until now was limited to desktop. According to Google's Workspace update, users no longer need to download additional apps or use separate mail portals to handle encrypted email on mobile, and the experience is now built directly into the existing Gmail app on both platforms.
Google says encrypted messages can be sent to any recipient regardless of their email provider. If the recipient uses Gmail, the message arrives as a standard email thread. If they use a different provider, they can read and reply via a secure browser interface without needing to install anything.
The feature is available now for both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains. Access requires an Enterprise Plus plan with either the Assured Controls or Assured Controls Plus add-on, which is Google's compliance-oriented tier aimed at enterprise and public sector customers. Admins must first enable Android and iOS clients through the CSE admin interface in the Admin Console before users can access the feature.
To encrypt an individual message, users tap the lock icon within a compose window and select "additional encryption" before writing.
2026-04-10 19:03:15
Evidence suggests Apple is preparing to bring Car Key support to Lexus vehicles, MacRumors has discovered.
Code references to Lexus were found in Apple's backend code, indicating the Toyota-owned luxury brand is being added to Apple's Car Key backend. The discovery mirrors how Toyota's own Car Key support was first uncovered, before the feature went live for the 2026 RAV4 in February. It is unclear when the feature will roll out to customers.
Lexus already offers its own app-based Digital Key system, but unlike Apple Car Key, it requires an active connection to Toyota's servers to function and has not historically worked via Apple Wallet. Apple Car Key stores a digital key directly in the Wallet app and uses NFC for unlocking, with an Express Mode that allows access without authentication. On compatible devices, it continues to work for up to five hours after a phone's battery has died.
Toyota confirmed to Carscoops in February that the 2026 Lexus ES will be the first Lexus model to receive the enhanced Digital Key functionality as part of a new-generation infotainment system, with the vehicle expected later this year. It is likely that the code references relate to that upcoming rollout.
Car Key support has been expanding steadily across the industry. Vehicles from BMW, Genesis, Kia, Hyundai, Lotus, Mercedes, Volvo, and more already offer the feature, and a full list is available on MacRumors.
2026-04-10 17:25:34
If you own a MacBook and work from home, it's easy to have your laptop plugged in for hours on end without thinking about the long-term battery life implications. Fortunately, Apple recently added a setting that lets you cap how high your Mac's battery charges, and if you own an iPhone that was released in the last few years, you may already be familiar with it.
Lithium-ion batteries generally degrade fastest when held at a high state of charge, which means keeping your iPhone or your Mac's battery at 100 percent accelerates the chemical wear that permanently reduces its actual capacity over time.
To mitigate this on iPhone 15 and newer models, Apple lets you set a Charge Limit that prevents your device from charging beyond 80, 85, 90, 95, or 100 percent. And in macOS Tahoe 26.4, Apple has brought over the same Charge Limit feature to Macs for the first time.
This option differs from Optimized Battery Charging, which learns your daily routine and delays charging past 80 percent until you're likely to need a full battery. Depending on your usage, however, your Mac may still regularly reach 100 percent.
Setting a charge limit prevents that. Obviously a lower charge cap means less time you'll be able to work away from a power outlet. But if you mostly sit at a desk with your MacBook plugged in, the trade-off is worth the long-term battery gains. That said, if you regularly rely on your Mac away from power, then you may want to opt for a higher cap, which should hopefully still curb battery wear without leaving you completely stranded. Either way, here's how to set the feature:
2026-04-10 07:50:05
OpenAI today added a new subscription tier, which the company says is meant to support increasing Codex use. Codex is OpenAI's AI coding agent that's integrated into ChatGPT, and it competes with Anthropic's Claude Code.
The new $100/month Pro tier provides 5x more Codex usage than the $20/month ChatGPT Plus plan. OpenAI says that it is best for longer, high-effort Codex sessions. ChatGPT also has a $200 Pro tier with a 20x higher usage allowance, and the $100/month plan is a new middle-tier option. Both the $100 and $200 plans share the "Pro" name.
Pro subscribers will have access to all Pro features, including the Pro model and unlimited access to Instant and Thinking models.
To celebrate the launch of the new plan, OpenAI is increasing Codex usage for a limited time. Through May 31, customers who subscribe to the $100/month Pro plan will get up to 10x usage of ChatGPT Plus on Codex.
In addition to introducing the new plan, OpenAI is "rebalancing" Codex usage in Plus to support more sessions throughout the week, instead of longer sessions in a single day. OpenAI says the ChatGPT Plus plan is the best offer for steady, day-to-day usage of Codex, while the more expensive $100/month plan is a "more accessible" upgrade path for heavier daily use.
With the $100 plan, OpenAI has pricing tiers similar to Anthropic. Anthropic has a $20/month Pro plan, a Max 5x plan for $100/month, and a Max 20x plan for $200/month.
2026-04-10 07:25:41
Developer Bryan Keller was curious whether an old version of Apple's Mac operating system was capable of running on the Nintendo Wii after seeing Windows NT ported to the gaming device, so he decided to give it a try. He was able to get Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah to operate on the Nintendo Wii, and he shared a blog post walking through the project.
The Wii uses a PowerPC 750CL processor, which is a newer version of the PowerPC 750CXe that Apple used in the G3 iBook and iMac, which is why Keller had a hunch that the process would be successful. Keller wrote a custom bootloader and eventually managed to load OS X, with the multi-step process detailed on his website.
He had to patch the OS X kernel source code and compile a modified kernel binary, then write custom drivers so the kernel was able to read from the Wii SD card slot to boot into the file system. He also had to write a framebuffer driver for the OS X interface, bridge a color incompatibility between the Wii video hardware and OS X graphics code, and seek out decade-old OS X Cheetah USBFamily source code on IRC to get peripherals working.
Keller was able to get the Mac OS X Cheetah installer running with a functional keyboard and mouse, turning the Wii into a usable system running OS X.
Keller was invested enough in the project that he took the Wii with him on vacation to Hawaii so he could work on it. For those curious about how he solved the myriad problems required to get OS X running on a Wii, his website is worth checking out. Anyone who wants to try setting up OS X on a Wii can get the project source code on GitHub.
This article, "Mac OS X Cheetah Successfully Ported to Nintendo Wii" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
