Ever since Liquid Glass debuted, there has been some debate about using Clear Icons on the Home Screen of iPhone and iPad, with some users really liking the feature and the look, and many other users questioning the usefulness and utility.

Some seem to dislike the Clear icons look because of Liquid Glass in general, but I find it’s actually one of my favorite features of Liquid Glass on the newer OS 26/27 interface style. I’d go so far as to say I’m a huge fan of Clear Icons on iPhone and iPad. I think they look really nice and offer a much more subtle appearance to the iPhone and iPad Home Screen. But appearance alone is not the reason I like the Clear Icons on iOS/iPadOS, and there’s a distraction specific reason that Clear Icons are by far my favorite look for my iPhone and iPad.

So, what’s the best part of using Clear Icons? In my opinion, it’s that the Clear look removes all of the obnoxious bright neon colors that are intentionally designed to capture our attention, over and over again, until we click and engage with the apps. Enable clear icons, and every single one of the garish bright Home Screen colors that are visually distracting and attention-hungry, are now muted. Ahhh, the relief!

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Apple may have dramatically increased prices on most products including every Mac and iPad, but if you’re an Amazon shopper you can take advantage of some increasingly incredible deals.

That’s because Amazon has not yet raised the prices of most Mac or iPad models, and instead is continuing to offer generous discounts from the prior MSRP. This translates into $350 savings on MacBook Air models, $110 savings on MacBook Neo, $150 off iPad Air, up to $400 off MacBook Pro, and more.

I personally was not planning on upgrading to a new Mac anytime soon, but the just announced price increases and the deals available from Amazon pushed me over the edge to shop now, so I picked up a nicely discounted M5 MacBook Air. Check various color, storage, and RAM configuration options, to see what’s available and right for you, but everything is selling quick. Amazon stock shifts around quickly too, so if you don’t see what you’re looking for, check again later.

M5 MacBook Air 15″ from $1149 ($350 off new Apple prices)

Amazon is taking $350 off the newly re-priced MacBook Air 15″ series:

• 15″ M5 MacBook Air – 16GB – 512GB – $1149 ($350 off Apple new MSRP)
• 15″ M5 MacBook Air – 16GB – 1TB – $1349 ($350 off Apple new MSRP)
• 15″ M5 MacBook Air – 24GB – 1TB – $1549 ($350 off Apple new MSRP)

M5 MacBook Air 13″ from $949 (Up to$350 off new Apple prices)

You can save up to $350 off the newly price increased 13″ MacBook Air as well:

• 13″ M5 MacBook Air – 16GB – 512GB – $949 ($350 off Apple new MSRP)
• 13″ M5 MacBook Air – 16GB – 1TB – $1149 ($250 off Apple new MSRP)
• 13″ M5 MacBook Air – 24GB – 1TB – $1389 ($250 off Apple new MSRP)

M5 MacBook Pro up to $400 Off

The M5 MacBook Pro is available with up to a $400 discount from Apple’s new pricing. These are the most powerful portable Macs you can buy:

• 14″ M5 MacBook Pro – 16GB/1TB – $1549 ($450 off new Apple price)
• 14″ M5 Pro MacBook Pro – 24GB/1TB – $2,050 ($150 off new Apple price)
• 16″ M5 Pro MacBook Pro – 24GB/1TB – $2,550 ($350 off new Apple price)
• 16″ M5 Pro MacBook Pro – 48GB/1TB – $2,899 ($400 off new Apple price)

MacBook Neo from $590 with Fast Shipping ($110 off new Apple price)

Amazon is continuing of the MacBook Neo starting at $590, which is $110 off the new Apple retail price. You can find these in most color and storage combinations with rapid shipping:

• MacBook Neo – 256GB – Indigo Blue – $589
• MacBook Neo – 512GB w/ Touch ID – Indigo – $689
• MacBook Neo – 256GB – Silver – $589
• MacBook Neo – 512GB w/ Touch ID – Silver – $689
• MacBook Neo – 256GB – Citrus – $589
• MacBook Neo – 512GB w/ Touch ID – Citrus – $689
• MacBook Neo – 256GB – Blush pink – $589
• MacBook Neo – 512GB w/ Touch ID – Blush pink – $689

M4 iPad Air up to $130 off

Amazon stock on iPad Air is moving fast, but the 11″ model is still available in some color options for up to $180 off the new Apple price:

• 11″ iPad Air M3 – $519 (down $130 from Apple new MSRP of $649)

Shop while you can, since it’s unlikely that Amazon will continue to offer such dramatic discounts for much longer.

FTC: OSXDaily is an affiliate partner with Amazon, meaning if you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment which goes towards keeping the site running.

Apple has significantly raised prices on all Mac models and iPads for sale, along with notable price increases on multiple other Apple devices and accessories as well.

Pricing of iPhone remains unchanged at the moment, as does the price of Apple Watch. The price increases were recently rumored to appear soon due to rising memory prices, and they have officially arrived today.

A full list of product price increases is further below.

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With iOS 27 coming in the fall, many people are excited about upcoming features like the all new Siri AI, Apple Intelligence improvements, visual tweaks to Liquid Glass, and even the neat new default wallpapers!

But you don’t have to jump into installing the iOS 27 beta as a developer or wait until the fall just to get your hands on the new official iOS 27 wallpapers, you can stylize your iPhone right now with the iOS 27 look by just downloading and using the default wallpapers on your device.

Click on the thumbnails below to open the full size 1320 × 2868 wallpaper in a new window, where you can save it to your iPhone (or whatever else) and set it as your wallpaper:

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Amazon Prime Day continues, browse all the Amazon Prime Day Deals here, and check out some of the great deals below on Apple gear.

AirPods Max 2 for $399, AirPods Pro 3 for $179, AirPods 4 for $99

Amazon is offering great deals on the entire AirPods lineup, grab what’s right for you at a nice discount;

• AirPods Max 2 for $399 (down from $499)
• AirPods Pro 3 for $179 (down from $249)
• AirPods 4 for $99 (down from $129)

Apple Watch Deals from $199

The entire Apple Watch lineup is discounted for Prime Day, with the Apple Watch Ultra 3 getting a $150 discount, the Apple Watch Series 11 a $120 discount, and the Apple Watch SE 3 with a $50 discount:

• Get Apple Watch Series 11 for $279 ($120 off from $399)
• Apple Watch Ultra 3 for $649 (down from $799)
• Apple Watch SE 3 for $199 (down from $249)

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Now that Amazon Prime Days are here, there are some really great early days available, including all-time-low prices on Apple Watch Series 11, AirPods Max, and all sorts of other gear. You can check out all the broader Amazon Prime Day Deals here, and some select Apple deals below.

Apple Watch Series 11 is available at an all-time low price of just $279, taking $120 off the retail price. And Apple Watch Ultra is discounted down to $649 too.

• Get Apple Watch Series 11 for $279 ($120 off from $399)
• Apple Watch Ultra 3 for $649 (down from $799)

AirPods Max 2 for $399

AirPods Max 2 are available at a wild deal at just $399, down $100 from the $499 retail price. And AirPods Pro 3 are $179, while AirPods 4 are just $99.

• AirPods Max 2 for $399 (down from $499)
• AirPods Pro 3 for $179 (down from $249)
• AirPods 4 for $99 (down from $129)

Misc Deals

• Apple Magic Mouse for $60 (down from $79)
• Beats Studio Pro for $149 (down from $199)
• M4 iPad Air 12.9″ for $699 (down from $799)
• 13″ M5 MacBook Air – 16GB – 512GB – $949 ($150 off)
• 13″ M5 MacBook Air – 16GB – 1TB – $1149 ($150 off)
• 13″ M5 MacBook Air – 24GB – 1TB – $1349 ($150 off)
• MacBook Neo – 256GB – $589
• MacBook Neo – 512GB w/ Touch ID – $689
• Check out more Apple deals on Amazon here

FTC: OSXDaily is an affiliate partner with Amazon, meaning if you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment which goes towards keeping the site running.

Apple has released the second beta version of MacOS Golden Gate 27 to users participating in the developer beta testing program. Beta 2 arrives with a build number of 26A5368g, full installer download links and IPSW are linked below. While technically anyone can install these beta versions, they’re best limited to advanced users on secondary hardware.

MacOS Golden Gate 27 focuses on improvements to performance and Liquid Glass, along with new Apple Intelligence features, and Siri AI capabilities, along with other smaller changes and features like improvements to Spotlight search and Mail search.

Separately, Apple has also released iOS 27 beta 2 for iPhone, iPadOS 27 beta 2 for iPad, along with beta 2 of watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27.

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The second beta version of iOS 27 is now available for iPhone users enrolled in the beta testing program for Apple system software, along with iPadOS 27 beta for iPad users. Betas are aimed at advanced users, and though anyone can technically install them, they are not as stable or functional as final versions and therefore best reserved for advanced users.

Separately, Apple has also released MacOS 27 Golden Gate beta 2, and the second beta versions of the rest of the OS 27 suite.

iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 are focused on performance enhancements, improvements to Liquid Glass (as well as a slider for adjusting the intensity of the interface), a new dedicated Siri app, Siri AI, new Apple Intelligence capabilities, and many smaller changes and improvements.

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AirPods Pro 3 are discounted down to just $169 ahead of Amazon Prime Day, taking $80 off the retail price from Apple. You can also get the AirPods 4 for just $99 if you don’t need the fancy features the Pro’s offer like hearing aid functionality.

• AirPods Pro 3 for $169 (down from $249)
• AirPods 4 for $99 (down from $129)

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Remember Quake, the popular first person shooter from 1996? It was a very innovative game at the time, and a massive hit, that initially debuted for Windows, before arriving unofficially on the Mac and Linux, and eventually got an official Mac release too (which I could swear did not perform as smoothly as the unofficial client, alas).

Anyhoo, web browsers and computers are powerful enough now that Quake 1 can now be played in its entirety, including multiplayer component, right in your browser of choice (you can also even run entire MacOS System 7, System 8, and Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar entirely in a browser).

Yes, really, you can play Quake 1 single player, or QuakeWorld multiplayer online, right from your web browser. Neat huh? And since this is browser based it’ll work on just about anything with a modern web browser and a keyboard.

• Play Quake 1, including multiplayer, in your browser here

Hit the ESC key in game to access single player and multiplayer game modes.

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MacOS Golden Gate 27 brings some refinements and new features that are sure to be popular among Mac users, including many performance related improvements, some Liquid Glass tweaks and a slider to adjust the intensity of the interface, new Apple Intelligence features, new Siri AI features, improvements to iPhone Mirroring, and many other small changes and features. If you’ve been keeping an eye on MacOS 27 Golden Gate, you are perhaps curious to know if your Mac will support and run MacOS 27.

The list of compatible Macs for MacOS Golden Gate 27 is more strict than predecessor operating systems, and there are some Macs that were recently supported that will not make the cut to the newest version. Whether you’re wondering about supported hardware so that you can install the MacOS 27 beta or because you’re planning for the future final release, here’s what you need to know.

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Need to install Java on your Mac to run a particular application? While most Mac users will never need Java, there are certain apps, development tools, enterprise software, and utilities that still require a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) or Java Development Kit (JDK) to function properly. You might discover this when you go to open the app, and you might see a message about requiring Java, or needing a Java Virtual Machine.

If you’ve launched an app and received a message stating Java is required, or you’re setting up software that depends on Java, installing a modern JDK/JRE is usually the easiest solution. One of the best options available today is called Eclipse Adoptium⁠, which is a free, open-source distribution of OpenJDK that’s widely used on MacOS, Windows, and Linux, but obviously we’re focused on the Mac here.

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iPadOS 27 is an interesting new update for iPad with a host of performance improvements, tweaks to Liquid Glass including a slider for the intensity of the UI look, and a range of various features and significant AI improvements, including the all new Siri AI and Apple Intelligence features.

But unlike iOS 27, which is compatible with all iPhone models that could run iOS 26, you will find that iPadOS 27 is a bit more strict, and multiple iPad models do not make the cut for iPadOS 27 despite supporting iPadOS 26.

So, if you’re asking yourself “will my iPad run iPadOS 27?”, we’ve got the answers for you, and all iPad models!

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Looking for a Father’s Day gift, or perhaps just some nice wireless earbuds for yourself? Amazon is offering the AirPods 4 for just $99, a great deal with rapid delivery in time for the weekend.

• AirPods 4 for $99 (down from $129)

You also might find the AirPods Pro 3 for $169, but this deal sold out recently and stock comes and goes quickly, but if you do see them in that’s quite a discount from the retail price of $249.

Apple Watch Series 11 for $299 ($100 Off), Apple Watch Ultra for $699 ($100 Off)

Another fantastic gift for Dad, or for yourself, is the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch Series 11 is available starting at just $299, while the beefy and durable Apple Watch Ultra is available for just $699, both enjoying a $100 discount from retail price.

• Apple Watch Series 11 – $299 ($100 off from $399)
• Apple Watch Ultra 3 – $699 (down from $799)

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iOS 27 is sure to be a popular update for iPhone, with a big emphasis on boosting device performance, Liquid Glass refinements, significant improvements to Siri with Siri AI and Apple Intelligence, and more. With all of these exciting improvements and features, you might be wondering if your iPhone is capable of running iOS 27, and if you have a device that supports all the new AI features or not.

Whether you’re just curious about the compatible iPhone models, what iPhone models will support what new AI feature, you’re trying to plan ahead for the fall release of iOS 27, or because you’re curious about jumping in now by installing the iOS 27 beta, read along and you’ll find the full list of iOS 27 supported iPhone models, as well as a breakdown of what iPhone models will support the latest AI features.

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While most beta users, and likely Apple too, are focused on the MacOS Golden Gate 27 betas and iOS 27 betas, a separate beta channel remains for current versions of Apple system software, and those have been updated today. With the second beta version of MacOS Tahoe 26.6 beta, iOS 26.6 beta, and iPadOS 26.6 beta, being released for developers, there are now two separate beta tracks going for developers to follow.

Interestingly, some RC builds of betas for MacOS Sequoia 15.7.8 and MacOS Sonoma 14.8.8 were also made available, suggesting perhaps that MacOS Tahoe 26.6 and iOS 26.6 might be finalized sooner than later, despite being only in their second beta release.

Again, these are new betas for MacOS 26 and iOS 26, NOT the just released betas for MacOS 27 and iOS 27. If you already installed MacOS 27 beta, iPadOS 27 beta, or iOS 27 beta, you will not find beta builds available for OS 26.6.

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MacOS Golden Gate 27 is the latest version of MacOS system software to come from Apple, debuting at WWDC 2026. With the emphasis being considerably geared towards performance and stability, Golden Gate brings refinements both under the hood and in the user interface, with improvements to the Liquid Glass UI, new Siri AI and Apple Intelligence features, and iPhone Mirroring can be resized. Developers and enthusiasts are excited to get their hands on MacOS Golden Gate 27 beta and try out all the changes and new features.

It’s important to remember that beta versions of system software are intended for advanced users only, and these early developer betas are really only appropriate for advanced users who are comfortable with beta system software. Expect bugs, less stability, poor performance, incompatibilities, quirks (like the Dock randomly not working, as has happened for some in Golden Gate Beta 1), and just an unpolished experience. If you’re ok with that giant caveat, then read along and you’ll have MacOS Golden Gate 27 beta installed on your Mac in no time.

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Did you know Google Earth now has a flight simulator built-in to the web version of the app? The Google Earth Flight Simulator was recently launched, and it’s kind of an Easter Egg in that it’s slightly tucked away, but but also kind of not, because it’s just a menu option away from accessing at anytime. Nonetheless, as a Google Earth user myself, I didn’t know the Flight Simulator feature existed until recently stumbling upon it, so you might be like me and oblivious to a neat little fun gaming feature being right there, just a click away.

Here’s how you can use the Flight Simulator at any time using the Google Earth web app, all you need is a computer and a keyboard to get started.

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