Dan Moren
Verified- Writer and Editor, Freelance
- Host, Clockwise
- Host, The Rebound (Podcast)
- Co-Host, NASA Vending Machine (watching "For All Mankind" and "Star City")
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Articles by Dan Moren
New Siri Remote’s Find My feature limited to N1-equipped iPhones
I was curious about the limitations of the new Siri Remote‘s Precision Finding feature, which requires an iPhone 17 generation or newer. Earlier iPhones have Apple’s latest ultra wideband chip, which is what Find My generally uses, so why wouldn’t they be compatible?
New Apple TV 4K adds Siri AI support
In an announcement sure to shock the very foundations of the world, Apple rolled out a new Apple Siri Remote with support for Find My with Precision Finding and a speaker that can play a noise, ensuring you’ll never again lose it in your couch cushions for months on end. And also a new Apple TV 4K with Siri AI. The new Apple TV 4K uses an A19 chip that gives it access to the revamped Siri.
Apple announces HomeView smart display
As was widely expected, Apple today took the wraps off its “HomePod with a screen”, dubbed the HomeView. The device features a seven-inch Liquid Retina display with multitouch, at 1088-by-1088 resolution and is powered by an A18 chip. It comes in two different styles: a model intended to sit on a tabletop with a half-dome and small tilt-adjustable arm holding up the display, and one that’s meant to be wall-mounted.
FCC filings for LG/Apple smart home devices uncovered
MacRumors’s Hartley Charlton has a post detailing the designs of some rumored upcoming smart home devices co-developed by LG and Apple, thanks to FCC filings: Yesterday, Bloomberg reported that Apple is working with LG Electronics on accessories for its upcoming home hub and other home products, citing regulatory documents without sharing the filings.
Apple’s new parental controls are having a messy roll out
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, writing at The Verge, illuminates some challenges with the new parental controls Apple added in this year’s software updates: I’m not even trying to use Screen Time on my son’s devices. He’s 18, away at college, and well beyond my parental controls. The problem is I apparently need him to update his MacBook Neo before I can use Apple’s new Screen Time features on my 15-year-old daughter’s iPhone.
Secretive helps you keep your SSH keys secret, keep them safe
Way back in January I noted that one of the features that had kept me from using Passwords as my only password management app was its inability to manage SSH keys, a feature offered by competitor 1Password. What I liked about 1Password’s approach was that it abstracted this feature, letting me authenticate my keys using macOS’s built-in authorization system. So instead of typing in a passphrase for that key, I could just use Touch ID or type my 1Password password.
Apple is changing Full Disk Access in macOS
In a post on Apple’s Developer News site, the company says it will be updating the Full Disk Access permissions: Going forward, we will introduce additional controls to ensure that users who genuinely wish to grant an app this extraordinary level of access can only do so with very explicit user action. Addressing this is critical. As AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially.
Blast From the App Past
Not all classic apps fade away—some quietly evolve and solve problems the giants can’t touch.
The Back Page: Know when to fold ’em
The verdict is in: It took only one thing to reignite enthusiasm in Apple’s product line-up, and that thing was apparently an only just barely visible crease. Yes, just weeks after its announcement, the iPod Duo has taken the mantle of “most foldable Apple product”, besting the previous title-holder, iPod Socks.
Numbers update get statistical and trigonometry functions, and Apple tells you what they all are
When Apple updated its iWork suite in April of last year, I complained that the company didn’t break out the full list of functions that it had added to Numbers in its 14.4 release. Subsequently, a reader did the legwork of digging into the Wayback machine to identify the additions. Well, this week, Apple updated iWork again, including new functions for Numbers, and glory be—this time it did provide a full list of all the new functions available in the release notes.
Tech News Weekly 456
Category: News Dan Moren of Six Colors joins the show this week! Meta's Muse has a zero-day vulnerability. Rat brains can power an AI model? Why are we hearing more about AI agents escaping their testing environments? And Meta's new VR glasses. Dan talks about a new zero-day exploit that affects Meta's Muse AI agent, which allows an app or terminal command that can impersonate the AI agent and easily gain access to users' messages, emails, and other sensitive data.
Apple renews Qualcomm patent deal
Qualcomm: Qualcomm Incorporated today announced the renewal of its global patent license agreement with Apple, effective April 1, 2027. “We are pleased to extend the Apple license agreement,” said John Han, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Qualcomm Technology Licensing (QTL). That’s it. That’s the whole statement. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Apple has made no announcement.
iOS 27 Review: Little things mean a lot
By now you’ve probably heard the promise of iOS 27: it’s a Snow Leopard-like year where Apple spent a lot of time not on big marquee features, but on smaller fixes and enhancements throughout the operating system. And that’s largely true—and largely to the benefit of the platform—but it’s also not the whole story. Because there is, of course, at least one major feature that comes to iOS 27 (and Apple’s other platforms) this year, and it’s a doozy: Siri AI.
The iPhone Duo: Tradeoffs, but fewer than feared
Apple’s events are always a deluge of information, delivered by smooth-talking presenters who are probably trying to hypnotize you with their soothing hand motions. So it can take a little bit of time after watching the presentation to come back to reality, and sift through the details. This year’s iPhone event1 was no exception. The company rolled out new Pro iPhones, two new Apple Watches, a new pair of AirPods, and, of course, the first folding iPhone.
The Back Page: Tim out!
Listen up, you primitive screwheads, Dear beloved team, Today marks the end of my remarkable—many would say “historic” and who would I be to argue?—tenure as Apple’s chief executive officer. Over the last 15 years, I’ve taken a piddling little tech company from a pair of nerds in a garage to the most profitable company in the world. Or, at least, that’s how I remember it. I’m sure you’ll miss me, and I’ll miss me too.
From the archive: Can Apple make the first wantable smartwatch?
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in July 2015 What makes a gadget worth wearing? Apple is betting it knows better than anyone, and today they’ll likely reveal the final details of the Apple Watch–the most anticipated piece of technology since, well, the last Apple device to hit the streets. Apple is rarely a first mover in electronics.
LLMs aren’t writing
I’m not an AI hater: I’ve used it for my fair share of projects that involve coding or for troubleshooting various technology problems. In my work testing Apple’s Apple Intelligence releases, I’ve generated some images, all truly bizarre and many of them good for nothing beyond a joke. But I have been fascinated by the response to Anthropic’s AI watermarking scheme, especially after I read my friend John Gruber’s full-throated rebuttal. I have great respect for John as a writer.
Review: SuperDuper! 4 gets a stem-to-stern revamp, but is just as seaworthy as ever
Backups, as any computer user knows, are worth their weight in gold. If it isn’t backed up, it might as well might not exist. That’s why I have for years trusted ShirtPocket’s SuperDuper! to ensure that all my data is safe and sound. And now, for the first time in a very long time, the venerable backup utility has gotten a top-to-bottom update that brings it into the modern era without sacrificing any of the features—and, most importantly, the reliability—that its users have come to depend on.
Tech News Weekly 449
Category: News Dan Moren of Six Colors joins the show. A newly disclosed flaw was discovered in Apple's iCloud Private Relay. What is the phenomenon, "spiralism," and its ties to AI chatbots? Apple's Siri AI finally makes its way into the iOS 27 beta. And a SpaceX rocket impacted the Moon, but is it as big a deal as the headlines are making it?
Apple’s reported upgrade program revamp could be a big downgrade
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is set to announce a new “Apple Upgrade” program (paywalled) next week to replace both its existing financing offerings and the iPhone Upgrade program. Details are still vague at present, but it will supposedly offer lease-style arrangements for not just iPhones, but Macs, iPads, and Apple Watches as well. I’ve been in the iPhone Upgrade Program since Apple debuted it more than a decade ago.
First Look: iOS 27 Public Beta
By now you’ve probably heard the promise of iOS 27: it’s a Snow Leopard-like year where Apple spent a lot of time not on big marquee features, but on smaller fixes and enhancements throughout the operating system. And that’s largely true—and largely to the benefit of the platform—but it’s also not the whole story. Because there is, of course, at least one major feature that comes to iOS 27 (and Apple’s other platforms) this year, and it’s a doozy: Siri AI.
Tech News Weekly 445
Category: News Dan Moren joins Mikah Sargent this week! XBOX resets itself. Wealthy families are leaning towards AI tutors to better prepare their kids. AI is starting to get into the "Wrapped" trend with users' data. And New York is the first US state to ban the use of smart glasses in courthouses. Microsoft laid off thousands more Xbox employees this week, and spun off gaming studios such as Compulsion Games and Double Fine, as the division struggles with thin margins & rising hardware costs.
WhatCable gives you the download on your USB cables
If you’ve ever wondered why your data transfers to external drives aren’t going as fast as you’d like, or a certain peripheral just isn’t working, you could probably use WhatCable, a helpful little app from developer Darryl Morley. WhatCable looks at your Mac’s USB ports and anything plugged into them, and lets you know about speeds and power supply for your currently connected USB and Thunderbolt cables, as well as what their maximums are.
The Back Page: Murder on the Cupertino Express
I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve called you all here to this elegant dining car. It’s simple: one of you—yes, one of you—is a murderer. Spare me your protestations! One of you has brutally killed Apple’s profit margins in cold blood. A detestable crime, in this day and age. If we cannot protect shareholder value, what, then is sacred? So you will permit me, before identifying the guilty party, to say a few words? Thank you.
Level Lock founders and engineers kicked by parent company
Smart home reporter Jennifer Pattison Tuohy at The Verge reports that parent company Assa Abloy has folded Level, which it acquired in 2024, into its Kwikset brand and removed the company’s founders: The Verge obtained exclusive details from a person familiar with the restructuring who requested anonymity as they were part of the layoffs.
That new Mac or iPad is gonna cost you even more now
Say this about Tim Cook: he always follows through. After telling the Wall Street Journal last week that Apple would have to raise prices thanks to the ravages of the memory market, the company today did just that. The Verge, among others, have the full breakdown. What’s interesting is the manner in which they did so. Today’s prices apply across several product lines, most prominently the Mac and iPad, but also the Apple TV and HomePod.
Apple’s updated icons in Golden Gate
Basic Apple Guy has a rundown of the new icons in Golden Gate compared to their Tahoe predecessors: The colours are much bolder, several icons have been adjusted, and the refraction in the Liquid Glass effect has changed significantly, especially in icons like Journal. There’s also a noticeable sharpness to the icons, along with a flattening of the Liquid Glass effect. I’m not sure yet whether this is simply an early-beta artifact or the intended final look.
Tech News Weekly 442
Category: News Dan Moren of Six Colors is in this week for Tech News Weekly with Mikah Sargent. Apple will likely raise the prices of its products in the future. Roku is being bought by Fox. Android 17 arrives for your smartphone! And could your devices come pre-installed with backdoor software?
This Week in Apple: Siri, not Siri
It’s WWDC week and John Moltz had the temerity to go on vacation, which means it falls to me, his dutiful editor, to file something. Also, Jason’s on the road somewhere, so really, there’s nobody to stop me. The power is intoxica—wait, is this zero-proof power? Rats. Anyway, down to business. If you take away anything from this week’s WWDC, it’s that Apple and Google are just friends.
Siri won’t be your AI girlfriend
This soundbite has been making the rounds this morning, from an interview with Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak on the show Mostly Human: I mean, the way that we have designed Siri, Siri really wants to say ‘Listen, that’s not what I’m here for, right? I’m here to help you. I can help you get things done. I can help you learn about the world.’ But if you try to engage Siri as a romantic partner, Siri’s not up for that. Siri’s 100 percent not into that.
Apple’s 27 platform updates plant the seeds of future devices
Apple’s annual software updates have implications throughout time. They reach back to older devices, some years making them more performant and usable or, alternatively, removing support for them altogether; they deal, obviously, with the products people are using and buying right now; and, perhaps most interestingly, they hint at what we might see from the company down the road. This year’s updates, in what we’ll call the 27 model year, do all of this.
watchOS 27’s small but nice updates
Nice overview from Jonathan Reed at MacStories of Apple’s watchOS 27 updates. Like some of Apple’s other platforms—cough, cough, tvOS—the Watch didn’t get a huge amount of time during the keynote, but there are some good tweaks there. It’s not a total surprise that watchOS 27 isn’t a huge release, but there are still some very welcome features. The first is Siri AI, which, thankfully, is heavily integrated into the Apple Watch.
All the little details Apple did show in its WWDC 2026 keynote…just very quickly
One of my favorite bits of most Apple events is picking out the little things that Apple doesn’t talk about in its keynotes. At WWDC 2026, however, a lot of those little details did get mentioned—but if you blinked, you might have missed them. During its discussion of platform improvements, Apple zoomed out on a small-text screen of many of the changes coming in its platforms this year—and there are a lot of them. Good news, now you can read at your own convenience—still in very small text.
WWDC: What To Expect
With Apple pushing on-device AI and deep personal context, can they actually outmaneuver privacy concerns while matching Google’s aggressive advancements? This episode breaks down the tension between convenience and user trust in the next wave of iOS. • Smarter Siri rumors: Personal context and on-screen awareness explained • Apple’s AI promises, missed deadlines, and looming class action suit • Siri vs.
Tech News Weekly 439
Category: News Dan Moren from sixcolors.com joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly. A new report from Mark Gurman highlights new details for iOS 27. A look into a trend in London involving phone thefts & the lengths they go to unlock stolen devices for resale. And the Vatican unveiled its new papal encyclical on artificial intelligence.
iOS Today: iMessage Apps
Why do iMessage apps feel like a forgotten experiment, and what buried gems are still hiding behind that plus button? Dan Moren joins the show to unpack which built-in features now outshine their third-party predecessors and what that says about Apple’s approach to messaging. iMessage apps’ evolution, developer challenges, and user engagement declines Default iMessage features vs.
Microsoft is getting rid of SMS two-factor codes
Microsoft: Microsoft believes that the future of authentication is passwordless, secure, and user-friendly. SMS-based authentication is now a leading source of fraud, and by moving to passwordless accounts, passkeys, and verified email, we’re helping you stay ahead of evolving threats while making account access simpler and more seamless. Good. Hopefully this is a trend that more and more companies get onboard with, along with passkey adoption.
Bartender 6’s new pro feature turns the MacBook notch into a dynamic peninsula
The battle for the Mac menu bar has raged for decades, and shows no signs of letting up. As the number of apps and controls in the menu bar have continued to proliferate, users have had to constantly find ways to keep them in check. For years, the de facto solution was the Mac app Bartender, but after an awkwardly managed ownership transition in 2024, a slew of alternatives sprouted up to take on the venerable utility and vie for the crown.
The Vision Pro: Not quite dead yet
The Vision Pro may very well be the Rasputin of Apple products. Ever since its release, it’s been plagued with reports of being a flop, doomed, dead on arrival. But as the dust clears, many of those reports have proved to be, in that time-honored expression, greatly exaggerated. The Vision Pro soldiers onward.
A PC user spends two weeks with the MacBook Neo
Like millions of people around the world, I have a mixed marriage: I’ve long used Macs, but my wife Kat’s personal computer is a Windows PC. That categorization isn’t entirely fair, though—because Kat also uses an iPhone and wears an Apple Watch every single day. We have an Apple TV in the living room and a HomePod mini in the kitchen. She’s certainly no stranger to the world of Apple devices. If anything, the Lenovo laptop that largely lives underneath our TV is the odd one out in the house.
Apple at 50: From rebel to empire?
As Apple hits its half-century milestone, it seems like we’re all of us waxing a bit rhapsodic about the company, its products, and their effects on our lives. So who am I to skip out on a trip down memory lane?1 Portrait of the author as a young man. Weirdly, I was born almost perfectly in between the founding of Apple on April 1, 1976, and the release of the first Macintosh on January 24, 1984.
The Back Page: Dispatches from the Apple multiverse
Yes, here in our universe, Apple is celebrating its 50th anniversary. A milestone! The company is looking back on its success, its technology prowess, and the way it’s made us all willing to just say “AirPods” like that’s a set of words that makes any kind of sense. But our universe is only one of many, and while it may be the 50th anniversary of Apple in several of those as well, the company hasn’t always been as successful—or at least as successful in quite the same way—as it has been here.
Tech News Weekly 430
Category: News Dan Moren joins Mikah Sargent on Tech News Weekly! Rumors of iOS 27 are slowly making the rounds, with Apple's planned AI reboot. A look inside the lawsuit between Halide co-founders. The US just banned consumer routers made outside of the US. And NASA unveiled its initiatives to return back to the Moon.
Breaking down the government’s bizarre router ban
The Verge’s Sean Hollister with just an excellent article breaking down the administration’s total nonsensical ban on consumer level routers made outside of the country. The article’s structured as a Q&A, and here are just a couple of my favorite excerpts: Sounds bad. But if they’re not recalling the routers, and they’re not fixing them… what the heck is the government actually doing? It’s banning future routers that haven’t been made yet. You’re not making a lot of sense.
Are orbital data centers economically viable?
“This is not physically impossible; it’s only a question of whether this is a rational thing to scale up economically,” [engineer Andrew] McCalip said. “The answer is it’s really close. And if you own both sides of the equation, SpaceX and xAI, it’s not a terrible place to be. I wouldn’t bet against Elon.” Yet betting on Elon also requires a giant leap of faith.
Apple sets WWDC 26 for week of June 8
Collect your meager Kalshi and Polymarket winnings, I guess: Apple has officially announced that its 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference will kick off with an in-person event at Apple Park on Monday, June 8. As in recent years, the event will run for the week, starting with the Keynote and Platforms State of the Union on Monday, followed by video sessions and labs. Videos will be accessible on the Apple Developer app and website, as well as YouTube.
Apple Photos’s concert identification seems to play more misses than hits
Technology professional Chris Devers1 has taken a close look at Photos’s concert feature, where it tries to tag pictures you take at musical events with the name of the show. Unfortunately, it’s a feature that’s rife with inaccuracies. Here’s just one class of example: Apple’s software struggles with understanding who the headline act is in a multiple-band lineup.
Tech News Weekly 428
Category: News Dan Moren of SixColors joins Mikah Sargent again on Tech News Weekly! Grammarly is facing a class action lawsuit over its AI 'Expert Review' feature. Live Nation's settlement with the DOJ does very little. A recap of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. And China is obsessed with OpenClaw AI.
'We See Everything': Meta's AI Workers Speak
Category: News Dan Moren of SixColors joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! Apple announced a whole new slew of products throughout the week, including the new MacBook Neo! A look into how Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses collect data. And how Google's new proposed system for apps could change the App Store game. Dan and Mikah discuss the slew of new products Apple announced this week: the iPhone 17e, M4 iPad Air, M5 MacBook Air, M5 MacBook Pro, and the new MacBook Neo.
Apple makes a Trojan horse play for the education market
Apple’s history with education is a long and twisty one. Like many folks my age, my earliest school experience with computers were an Apple IIs, carted in to a classroom, on which you could wait your turn to play Number Munchers. Later on, it was labs full of newer models where we cleverly wrote infinite BASIC loops to print “DAN IS AWESOME” all up and down the rows. By the time I got to college, though, Macs were already in the minority.
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