January 2026
iOS & Apple news
Today, Apple announced the introduction of Apple Creator Studio, which they call `an inspiring collection of the most powerful creative apps'. Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage — plus new AI features and premium content in Keynote, Pages, and Numbers — come together in a single subscription.
( cont'd) Apple today unveiled Apple Creator Studio, a groundbreaking collection of powerful creative apps designed to put studio-grade power into the hands of everyone, building on the essential role Mac, iPad, and iPhone play in the lives of millions of creators around the world.
(cont'd) Apple Creator Studio will be available on the App Store beginning Wednesday, January 28, for $12.99 per month or $129 per year, with a one-month free trial, and includes access to Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro on Mac and iPad; Motion, Compressor, and MainStage on Mac; and intelligent features and premium content for Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and later Freeform for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. College students and educators can subscribe for $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year. Alternatively, users can also choose to purchase the Mac versions of Final Cut Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Logic Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage individually as a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store.
(cont'd) One-time purchase pricing info: One-time-purchase versions of Final Cut Pro ($299.99 U.S.), Logic Pro ($199.99 U.S.), Pixelmator Pro ($49.99 U.S.), Motion ($49.99 U.S.), Compressor ($49.99 U.S.), and MainStage ($29.99 U.S.) are available on the Mac App Store.
Apple's announcement above includes the fact that Pixelmator Pro is Coming to iPad With Apple Pencil Support and More, reports Macrumors.
Apple announced that 2025 marked a record-breaking year for Apple services. `The App Store alone saw over 850 million average weekly users globally, with developers earning over $550 billion on our platform since 2008. Apple Pay also made a significant impact by eliminating well over $1 billion in fraud, while generating more than $100 billion in incremental merchant sales globally, and purchases made through Apple Pay significantly outpaced the overall growth in consumer spending levels during the peak holiday shopping period in November and December. Apple TV eclipsed all prior viewership records in December 2025, while Apple Music reached all-time highs in both listenership and new subscribers.'
Apple picks Google’s Gemini to run AI-powered Siri coming this year, reports CNBC.
Joint statement from Google and Apple, issued yesterday.
Google Gemini Partnership With Apple Will Go Beyond Siri Revamp, points out Macrumors.
iOS 26.3 is in beta now and End-to-End Encrypted RCS Messages Referenced in Latest iOS 26.3 Beta.
Global Smartphone Shipments Grew 2% YoY in 2025 and Apple Emerged as Market Leader, reports market analyst Counterpoint Research.
Can Apple’s AirPod Translation Get You Through Tokyo? We Tested It, reports the NY Times (gift link). A non-Japanese-speaking first-time visitor used Apple’s new in-ear translation feature to connect with locals at bars, sushi classes and even a fire ritual.
( cont'd) [ . . . ] As everyone filed out, I repeated, in English, some of the priest’s comments to my guide, Keiko Hatada, who taught English for 30 years and has led custom tours of Tokyo for the past decade. I wanted to make sure I had understood things correctly. I recounted the priest’s admonition to set aside unwholesome feelings of anger and greed, and work instead to show compassion and generosity, as well as his reminder that his temple was still accepting donations for those affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. “You told me you didn’t speak Japanese,” my guide said, pleasantly surprised. Beyond a few basic greetings and food terms, I don’t.
These 36 Airlines Offer iPhone Feature That Helps Find Your Lost Bags, reports Macrumors. All you need to do is put in an AirTag in your baggage (or any other device that is compatible with Apple's Find My feature).
Apple has released a fun new ad to highlights iPhone 17's scratch-resistence, saying `All-new Ceramic Shield 2 is 3x more scratch-resistant. Now on iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.' :
New Emoji Coming to iOS, including Squinting Face, Pickle, and Lighthouse.
[ RUMOR ] This is likely the iPhone Fold display, and it looks amazing, writes 9to5Mac.
[ RUMOR ] Is this the folding iPhone’s creaseless display? asks The Verge, from CES 2026, shown by Samsung. `Samsung Display’s OLED prototype may start appearing in Apple and Samsung foldables this year.'
iOS apps
It's worth recalling All Apple finalists for best app, announced by Apple in November 2025. In December, Apple announced the winners.
Tiimo won iPhone App of the Year 2025. It offers a desktop version on the Mac. It helps you plan and manage your day in a novel way, different from ordinary calendar planners. Olga has started using Tiimo and likes it a lot.
Detail won iPad App of the Year 2025. The app lets you `Record video podcasts, presentations, livestreams and reaction videos – automatically edited and ready in seconds.' Apple's editors wrote: `At a time when video storytelling is one of the main ways we communicate, Detail’s AI editing tools democratize the production process so everyone can join the conversation.'
AnyList released some notable new features, take a look at their Release Notes and their video overview:
podcasts
Apple Podcasts names The Rest Is History the 2025 Show of the Year. `Hosted by acclaimed historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, The Rest Is History has become a fixture at the top of the charts worldwide by bringing history’s biggest moments to life. From the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, to the sinking of the Titanic, the hosts blend deep expertise with gripping storytelling and unexpected humor to make complex subjects accessible and compelling for millions of listeners.'`
Kara Swisher in her podcast episode Winners, Losers & WTF Moments: A Look Back at 2025’s Top Tech Stories hosts a panel of tech journalists to discuss the key moments of 2025 in technology. (They end with predictions for 2026, where WSJ's Joanna Stern predicts Apple will release a folding iPhone.)
tips & tricks
If you want to capture a photo of a subject that is moving and makes it very hard to click at the ideal time, take a burst oh photos instead. Your iPhone will rapidly take photos in succession until you stop. You can then review the burst and select the one(s) you want to keep and easily delete the rest. This is great when you have kids running or a pet that is jumping, and so on.
To take a burst of photos all you need to do is drag your finger from the camera button to the left. Release to stop.
How to Screen, filter, report, and block text messages on iPhone
Here are 10 worthwhile iPhone Tips:
gadgets & accessories
Bernie pointed us to this article about an iPhone Keyboard Accessory That Snaps to the Back and Slides Out When You Need It.
Olga told us about Dynamic Folio, her new iPad slim case. The case is slim. The material is very pleasant to hold, it is `vegan leather' and has a really nice texture. What makes it unique is the number of ways it can bend and fold to create different configurations for standing up your ipad: to read, to watch a video, to draw, to write. They also include a pen holder for free.
Moft also makes Snap Phone Tripod Stand which is Magsafe compatible, and the Snap Phone Tripod Wallet, which is a wallet version of the stand and can fit 2 credit cards. After loving the iPad case, Olga bought the iPhone Tripod stand and recommends it highly. This has quickly become a favorite accessory.
Another Moft accessory: Snap Duo Watch Band for Apple Watch users. Olga reported buying the blue/orange combination and recommends it highly. It looks and feel like something coming from Apple.
Roger H. told us about SPOTMINDERS Wallet Tracking cards.
Shane Whatley reports from CES 2026 on all the smart gadgets he saw in the exhibits:
Uppr offers a good variety of accessories for Apple products.
Olga reports that she bought the MagSafe Wireless Charger is a 15W Magnetic Wall Mount Charger mentioned in last month's iPUG meeting. She has been using it in the kitchen when following a recipe on her iPhone. It's practical and convenient. She uses AnyList to manage her recipes which also offers the option to have the iPhone screen remain on while displaying a recipe (avoiding the screen going off while you cook). This can use up more battery than normal, so this wireless charger helps with 2 things: it holds the phone so it's easy to read when cooking plus charges it at the same time.
Apple Card, Pay & Wallet
Apple announced that Chase will become new issuer of Apple Card, with an expected transition in approximately 24 months. [ . . . ] During this transition, Apple Card users can continue to use their card as they normally do. More information, including FAQs, is available at learn.applecard.apple/transition. Additional details will be shared with users as the transition date approaches.
AI
New study shows how AI could unlock deeper heart data from the Apple Watch’s optical sensor, reports 9to5mac. A recent research paper shows how Apple is exploring deeper cardiac health insights with the help of AI.
(cont'd) The paper is titled Hybrid Modeling of Photoplethysmography for Non-invasive Monitoring of Cardiovascular Parameters. `the researchers demonstrate that it is possible to estimate deeper cardiac metrics using a simple finger pulse sensor, also known as a photoplethysmograph (PPG), the same optical sensing modality used in the Apple Watch (though with different signal characteristics),' reports 9to5mac.
(cont'd) `While it is impossible to know whether Apple will ever incorporate these features into the Apple Watch, it is encouraging to see that the company’s researchers are looking for novel ways to extract even more meaningful and potentially life-saving data from sensors that are already in use,' concludes 9to5mac.
general news and crossover
Wikipedia gives an overview of 2025, all the searches and activity over the past year.
Wikipedia got started in 2001. This year, it turns 25.
Wikipedia at 25: The Radical Experiment that Rewrote the Internet, an interview of Wikiedia's Selena Deckelman, by Webby Awards. `How a nonprofit built the world’s most trusted knowledge platform by letting anyone edit.'
general apps or sites
ThetaWise.ai is a Math Solver. You can type an equation and it gives step by step solutions. It's AI-based but it purports to being more accurate than other general AIs for solving math problems.
Amazon.com/Outlet gives you access to the Outlet portion of amazon with a lot of discounted items, including Electronics. A good place to browse for cables and accessories for your electronics.
next iPUG
Our next iPUG will be on Tuesday February 3, at 7 pm MT.