2026-04-16 19:38:41
A British paraplegic adventurer was being filmed for an Apple Vision Pro immersive video series during a fatal aircraft crash in the Jordanian desert in July 2024, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.
Claire Lomas became internationally recognized in 2012 when she became the first person to complete the London Marathon using a robotic exoskeleton suit, five years after being paralyzed from the waist down in a horse-riding accident. Apple was apparently working with London-based Atlantic Studios to film Lomas for its Apple Immersive Video series called Adventure. A camera system was mounted on the plane itself, and Lomas was actively being recorded when the crash occurred. Lomas died from her injuries within weeks of the crash at the age of 44.
The planned episode was set to showcase multiple Jordanian landmarks, including the Wadi Rum valley and the ancient city of Petra. The original release date for was sometime in 2025. Apple spent millions of dollars per episode on the series, with Atlantic producing and Apple distributing.
People involved with the production say there were broader safety concerns during the making of the Adventure series, including crews working longer hours than staff felt was safe, filming in harsh climates, and operating equipment in conditions the crew had limited training for. Staffers reportedly raised these concerns with their superiors at Apple, which in response sent a health and safety representative to work periodically alongside production staff. There is no record of other major injuries tied to the series.
Apple and Atlantic continued working together after the crash; a Colorado episode was filmed in August 2024. Apple has released five Adventure episodes to date, featuring athletes highlining 3,000 feet in the air, swimming under Arctic ice, parkouring across Paris, cliff diving in Spain, and racing cars in Colorado. No new episodes have been published since last year.
The Adventure series sits within Apple's broader Apple Immersive Video offering for the Vision Pro, which Apple describes as a "180-degree, 3D 8K recording format captured with Spatial Audio." The format is one of the headset's primary selling points and is used in in-store demonstrations of the $3,499 device.
2026-04-16 19:08:29
iOS 27 is likely to introduce at least four new Apple Intelligence features that function within system apps, based on backend code discovered by Nicolás Alvarez and confirmed by MacRumors.
First up, Apple is expected to lean more heavily into Visual Intelligence in iOS 27, since the company is reportedly developing AI wearable devices that will leverage the feature. Apple is reportedly working on smart glasses, AirPods with cameras, and a wearable AI pin or pendant.
To that end, Visual Intelligence appears to be getting at least two new capabilities. One of them will likely let you scan a food nutrition label to get more information, which could well integrate into the Health app. Another will offer to add printed phone numbers/addresses to your Contacts. Visual Intelligence already offers to add calendar dates to your Calendar, so an equivalent feature for contacts makes sense.
Elsewhere, Apple's Wallet app is likely to gain the ability to generate digital passes from scans of things like event tickets, gym membership cards and the like. Google Wallet for Android already does something similar, using AI to determine the content of a pass.
Meanwhile, in Safari, we're expecting a new AI feature that will automatically name Tab Groups for users based on the contents of the tabs within the group.
We can't say with certainty that the above features will work as described, since we're interpreting them from the names of individual code strings. Likewise, we do not know for sure that they will appear in iOS 27 or a future point update of the upcoming software, but given that Apple is working on a smarter version of Siri for iOS 27 with deeper integration across apps, the timing fits.
Apple will unveil iOS 27 at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, before launching in September just ahead of when new iPhone models come out.
2026-04-16 17:38:48
Apple has started ramping up its supply chain for a new variable aperture camera system expected to debut in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max this September, reports Korea's ETNews.
Apple has never implemented a variable aperture on an iPhone. From the iPhone 14 Pro through the iPhone 17 Pro, the main camera uses a fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture, meaning the lens remains fully open at all times when capturing images.
In contrast, a variable aperture lets the camera control how much light reaches the sensor. In low-light conditions, it opens to admit more light, while in bright scenes, it closes to avoid overexposure. This should also give users more control over depth of field.
In December 2024, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was first to say that that the main rear camera on both iPhone 18 Pro models will offer variable aperture. A report from October 2025 said Apple was moving ahead with plans to bring the technology to next-generation iPhones and was discussing components with suppliers.
According to industry sources cited by today's report, Chinese supplier Sunny Optical has already started producing the actuators that enable the aperture mechanism, while camera module assembly will follow in early summer. Apple's primary camera partner LG Innotek is said to be preparing to begin production around June or July, with dedicated equipment being installed at its Gumi facility in South Korea. Module makers such as Cowell are also expected to take part in the process.
LG Innotek is reportedly likely to take on a larger share of production for the main camera module due to the system's added complexity. A similar thing happened when Apple adopted a folded tetraprism zoom lens in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, where LG Innotek initially served as the sole supplier.
2026-04-16 08:36:01
Apple retail locations and Apple Authorized Service Providers will soon be able to restore Apple Watch software in-store without needing to send an Apple Watch to a service center, according to a retail source that spoke to MacRumors.
Right now, Apple Watches that can't be restored using an iPhone need to be mailed to an Apple Repair Center for service. There is no in-store repair option, so customers have to wait for the Apple Watch to be shipped to the repair depot, get repaired, and be shipped back.
Starting later this month, Apple Stores and AASPs will be able to use an Apple Watch repair dock that connects to a Mac to restore the software on an Apple Watch. An in-store option for fixing software will make software-based repairs much quicker.
With watchOS 8.5 and iOS 15.4, Apple introduced an iPhone-based wireless restore option, but it is limited. It can only be used when a restore prompt is shown on the Apple Watch. For software issues where the iPhone restore doesn't work, the Apple Watch needs a specialized repair currently unavailable in retail stores. Failed updates, bricked devices, and boot loops can't be fixed with an iPhone.
Early Apple Watch models had a diagnostic port that Apple Stores could use for software fixes, but it was removed with the Apple Watch Series 7, and Apple switched to a wireless restoration process. After the port was dropped, Apple Watch software repairs had to be done at Apple Service Centers, making software-based failures a hassle for customers.
2026-04-16 07:12:26
Apple today stopped signing iOS 26.4, so iPhone users who have updated to iOS 26.4.1 are no longer able to downgrade to the earlier version of iOS. iOS 26.4.1 came out a week ago.
When software is "signed," it means it can pass the server-side verification check that Apple does when a user downloads a new version of iOS on an iPhone. An update that's not signed can't be installed because it won't pass the verification check.
Apple does not show users earlier versions of iOS after an upgrade has been released, but when software is still signed, it is possible to downgrade with the macOS Finder app on a Mac or the Apple Devices app on a Windows PC.
Unsigning software prevents Apple customers from installing outdated, less secure versions of iOS, and Apple typically stops signing an update a week or so after new software comes out.
iOS 26.4.1 fixed iCloud syncing issues and Stolen Device Protection on enterprise devices. While iOS 26.4.1 is the current publicly available version of iOS, Apple is also beta testing an iOS 26.5 update.
2026-04-16 05:13:27
An iPhone exploit that involves a linked Visa card can allow attackers to steal money from a locked device using NFC, but the process is complex, requiring physical access and specialized hardware. The exploit was highlighted by popular YouTube channel Veritasium, and it involves tricking an iPhone into thinking it's making a payment at a mass transit terminal, a process that can be completed from a locked iPhone.
This is a concern with the Visa system, but Visa does not believe this kind of fraud is likely to take place in the real world. Visa has made it clear that their cardholders are protected by Visa's zero liability policy.
