Sora, OpenAI's app for creating AI-generated video, has been downloaded more than one million times. OpenAI's Sora lead, Bill Peebles, shared the information on social media network X last night.
Peebles said that Sora hit one million app downloads even faster than ChatGPT did, with interest in the app soaring despite the fact that it's invite only and only available in the U.S. and Canada at the current time.
Sora was released at the end of September. It's designed to generate AI videos using realistic videos of real people and their friends. Each user uploads a "cameo" or short video, which they can then use with AI prompts.
The app includes an option for users to share their cameos, allowing select people or anyone on Sora to generate AI video with their likeness. Sora has been criticized for producing AI slop, but that hasn't affected its popularity. It continues to be the top free app on Apple's App Store.
Sora uses OpenAI's Sora 2 video generation model that can handle complex movements for realistic, cinematic, and anime-style video. Sora 2 supports generating audio, so all the video creations on Sora are accompanied by sound.
OpenAI designed Sora to display content based on people the user follows or interacts with, and the app polls users regularly on their wellbeing. There are controls to modify what's displayed in a feed, and OpenAI says that it is meant to be used with friends, which is why it's invite only.
Sora is free to download, and OpenAI is not restricting video generation to subscribers for now. [Direct Link]
Apple has invited a group of social media influencers to Colorado this week for an unusual event involving group hiking, trail running, and other outdoor activities designed to showcase the company's recently launched iPhone 17 Pro Max, AirPods Pro 3, and Apple Watch Ultra 3.
An invitation was shared on X (Twitter) by photographer Johnny Hawk, featuring a simple message: "Hi Johnny. We're so excited to welcome you to Colorado. Please enjoy this bag of essentials to use during your time here. See you soon!" The card is accompanied by a black backpack emblazoned with Apple's logo and a white flask.
When news of the mysterious Colorado gathering first surfaced, there was some speculation online that it might relate to Apple's anticipated October product refresh, which is expected to include new iPad Pro models with M5 chips and an updated Vision Pro, with potentially other updates also coming. Apparently, that's not the case at all.
The Rocky Mountain gathering appears to be just another aspect of Apple's marketing campaign for its been-and-gone iPhone 17 fall event. In follow-up posts on X and Instagram, Hawk revealed that he had been brought to Colorado's rugged terrain by Apple to test how the new iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watch perform in demanding outdoor conditions.
Apple has occasionally held regional events for influencers to preview products in unique settings, but these have usually occurred in major metropolitan centers like New York City. So far we've not heard rumors of anything in that vein taking place this month. This article, "Apple Hosts Unusual Colorado Event to Showcase Latest Hardware" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Apple today released new beta firmware that's designed for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4. The firmware is limited to developers at the current time, and it has a build number of 8B5014c.
The firmware comes as Apple is testing the iOS 26.1 update. It likely adds support for Live Translation in new languages, including Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Chinese (both Mandarin Traditional and Simplified).
With iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe, Apple added a beta firmware update installation option that's available from the AirPods settings interface when the AirPods are connected to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, which facilitates beta testing.
Apple today shared a short teaser video for Pluribus, an upcoming sci-fi drama series hailing from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan.
Pluribus stars Emmy-nominated actress Rhea Seehorn, who also starred in the Breaking Bad spinoff series Better Call Saul. In the "genre-bending" series, Apple says "the most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness."
In the teaser video, which is shrouded in mystery, Seehorn plays a woman named Carol. A fictional U.S. government official appears on her TV screen, promising to "figure out" what makes her "different" from the others, so that she can "join" them.
"Join us, Carol," reads the description for the YouTube video.
The first two episodes of the nine-episode first season will be released on Apple TV+ on Friday, November 7, and a new episode will follow every Friday through December 26. Apple has already picked up the series for a second season, too.
Pluribus is produced by Sony Pictures Television, and Gilligan serves as one of the executive producers and as a writer for some episodes.
Over the past few months, Apple has shared several mysterious clips from the show.
P.S. If you dial 202-808-3981, an automated message related to the show will play, and there is an option to sign up for promotional Apple TV+ text messages.
MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been testing all four of Apple's new iPhones for the last few weeks, so if you're still thinking about getting one an iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max, or iPhone Air, you'll want to watch his latest video.
Earlier this year, Apple finally launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. However, now nearly five months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to just one luxury vehicle brand.
CarPlay Ultra features deeper integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in apps for radio and climate controls, rear-view camera feed support, and more. The connected iPhone provides app-related data, while the vehicle provides information like the current speed, fuel level, tire pressure, engine temperature, and more.
The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can choose from various preset design options.
CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to newer Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Fortunately, if you cannot afford a $250,000 luxury vehicle, the software system will eventually be available in more affordable vehicles.
In May, Apple said many other automakers planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. At the time, it said CarPlay Ultra would begin expanding to more vehicles around the world "in the next 12 months," which would be by May 2026.
Apple first previewed the next generation of CarPlay all the way back at WWDC 2022, and at the time it shared a long list of automakers that were committed to offering the software system. The list is more than three years old, and it is not entirely accurate anymore.
The list was as follows:
Acura
Audi
Ford
Honda
Infiniti
Jaguar
Land Rover
Lincoln
Mercedes-Benz
Nissan
Polestar
Porsche
Renault
Volvo
According to a previous report from the Financial Times, there are at least five automakers on that list that have since confirmed that they have no plans to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Polestar, Renault, and Volvo.
That likely rules out Ford's luxury brand, Lincoln, too.
All in all, here is where things stand currently.
Currently Offers CarPlay Ultra
Aston Martin
Will Offer CarPlay Ultra
Hyundai
Kia
Genesis
Porsche
Won't Offer CarPlay Ultra
Audi
BMW
Ford
Lincoln
Mercedes-Benz
Polestar
Renault
Rivian
Volvo
General Motors controversially ditched the regular version of CarPlay in its new electric vehicles, so it is likely to pass on CarPlay Ultra too. That means vehicles from brands like Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC are unlikely to offer CarPlay Ultra.
It is extremely unlikely that software-focused Tesla would offer CarPlay Ultra either.
Amazon is hosting big discounts across the entire M4 MacBook Air lineup, with deals that represent all-time lows across every model of the computer. In total, you'll find $200 off the M4 MacBook Air notebook right now, with both 13-inch and 15-inch models on sale.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Prices start at $799.00 for the 13-inch 256GB model, down from $999.00. If you're looking for the larger model, you can get the 15-inch 256GB computer for $999.00, down from $1,199.00.
Of course, you'll also find all of the 512GB models of the 13-inch and 15-inch M4 MacBook Air on sale this week. If you prefer shopping at Best Buy, the retailer is matching these deals as well, and you won't need any membership to see the final deal prices.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
While it is unclear if Apple will host an October event this year, or stick to press releases, rumors suggest it will announce several new products this month.
The graphic for Apple's "Unleashed" event in October 2021
Below, we have recapped everything to know about a potential Apple event this October.
When
The table below outlines when Apple teased its October launches over the past four years.
Apple recently announced its next quarterly earnings call will be held on Thursday, October 30, and Apple's Chatswood Chase store in Australia will be reopening on the same day. Earnings calls and store openings are sometimes timed with product launches, so we could see announcements in the last week of October.
What
A handful of Apple products are expected to be updated as early as this October, with the following new features and changes rumored:
iPad Pro: A seemingly-legitimate unboxing video has revealed that the next iPad Pro will be equipped with an M5 chip, but lack any major external design changes. It was also reported that the next iPad Pro will feature two front cameras, but the unboxing videos do not show this, so such a change is not guaranteed.
What about Macs? Apple's next 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max chips will reportedly enter mass production soon, but it is unclear if some or all of the models will launch in late 2025 or or early 2026. While new Macs are often unveiled in October, there is precedent for a launch earlier in a year too, as Apple announced MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips in a January 2023 press release.
Apple has announced that its retail store at the Chatswood Chase shopping mall in Australia will reopen on Thursday, October 30, at 9:30 a.m. local time.
Apple Chatswood Chase has been closed for renovations since July 2024. When it reopens, it will feature an all-new design and updated amenities, including an Apple Pickup station for customers to collect orders placed through Apple's online store. Apple has yet to share photos of the new store, though, so the exact design remains to be seen.
Chatswood Chase is located in the Sydney suburb of Chatswood, on the North Shore.
Earlier this month, Apple permanently closed its store in Hornsby, which is located further north on Sydney's North Shore. Apple said all affected retail employees would be given the opportunity to work at the Chatswood Chase store.
Keyboard manufacturer Akko has just launched an iPhone keyboard case called MetaKey, proving that BlackBerry nostalgia is alive, well, and willing to add inches to your smartphone's length.
Like Clicks' cases, the MetaKey case connects via USB-C and adds a QWERTY keyboard to the bottom of the iPhone. However, priced at $59.99, it's half the cost of the Clicks keyboard case, which launched in January 2024 at $139.
The case features backlit keys and includes shortcuts for common tasks like accessing Siri, triggering voice-to-text, and entering numbers. There's also a unique scrolling mode that converts the top two rows of keys into large scroll buttons for browsing social media.
One of the practical challenges of these sort of keyboard cases is that they can be top-heavy. To address this, the MetaKey includes a removable 9-gram weight that attaches to the back of the keyboard to improve balance while typing.
MagSafe-compatible and with a USB-C passthrough port for charging, the MetaKey is currently available for the iPhone 16 Pro Max in black, white, and pink. An iPhone 17 Pro Max version is also available in black, orange, pink, blue, lavender, sage, and white, though some of these are currently out of stock.
For what it's worth, Clicks recently launched similar cases for iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro starting at $139, with a 17 Pro Max version at $159.
The Browser Company's Dia app is now open to anyone on Mac. It's the first time the AI-powered browser has been widely available since its beta launch in June.
Following on from Opera's Neon, which arrived last month, Dia is another AI-first browsing experience that's centered around tab-based chat functionality. The browser includes Skills, which are a mix of user-created and built-in shortcuts for everyday tasks like planning, learning, writing, and coding. Current Skills include summarization, fact-checking, browsing history analysis, outlining, and productivity planning.
Users can mention tabs in any chat query, add attachments to conversations, and personalize Dia with Memory, which helps the browser understand preferences over time. Meanwhile, students get dedicated tools that turn notes, lectures, and readings into flashcards, quizzes, and custom study guides.
Dia requires macOS 14 or later running on Apple silicon. The Browser Company offers both free and Pro ($20/month) tiers. Free users get access to all core features including chat, custom Skills creation, tab mentions, attachments, and Memory personalization, while Pro subscribers receive unlimited chat usage within the terms of service, plus a 14-day trial period.
Acquired by Atlassian for $610 million last month, the Browser Company says it is resuming weekly updates, and plans to bring Arc browser features to Dia. October's releases include more powerful memory of user tabs, redesigned Dia Skills, and Arc's Focus Mode (CMD-S). Dia is available to download directly from the company's website. This article, "AI Browser Dia Launches Publicly on Mac" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Bowers & Wilkins gives a little and takes a little to deliver the Px8 S2 wireless over-ear noise-cancelling headphones – can they justify their lofty asking price?
The Kiwibit Beako Smart Bird Feeder enhances the bird feeder camera concept by combining AI bird recognition with a 4K camera and user-friendly design features, including a removable seed caddy.
OpenProject 16.5 has been released and this version introduces new features and improvements again. Please take a few minutes to learn what changes for you. We will summarize the most important changes in this blog article and, as always, please see our release notes that contain all changes, features and bug fixes.
Add work packages to a meeting section in the Meetings tab
When preparing for a meeting, it’s often the small details that make a big difference. Until now, adding a work package to a meeting from the Meetings tab was already possible, but it always landed at the end of the agenda. Teams then had to manually move it to the right section — an extra step that sometimes led to confusion.
With 16.5, this process becomes much smoother. When you add a work package to a meeting, you can now add it directly to the right section or choose the backlog. The improved meeting selector also makes it easier to find the right meeting, whether it’s one of your upcoming appointments or part of a recurring series.
Choose color mode more conveniently with “Increase contrast” checkboxes
Over the last releases, we have steadily improved how you can adapt OpenProject’s appearance to your needs. In 16.4, we introduced the option to automatically sync the color mode with your operating system, as well as a dark high-contrast mode alongside the existing light one.
With 16.5, we are making these settings even more practical. Instead of switching between multiple predefined modes, you can now simply choose Light, Dark, or Automatic, and then enable an “Increase contrast” checkbox for the selected mode.
When you manage many projects, you often just want to see what changed recently. In 16.5, project lists include an “Updated on” filter and a sortable “Updated on” column. Sort by this column (newest first) or combine the filter with other criteria to focus on the projects that were modified most recently.
For integrations and automation, the API now supports an updated_at filter on the /api/v3/projects endpoint. This lets you request only projects changed since a given timestamp — useful for delta syncs that reduce waiting time and server load.
Note
Updated on reflects direct changes to the project itself (for example, a new custom field or a renamed project). Latest activity at is much broader and includes activity within the project, such as attribute changes to work packages.
Jump to highlighted target elements from deep links
Deep links are especially useful when you want to point colleagues directly to a specific item in OpenProject. With 16.5, these links now do more than just open the right page — they also scroll to the exact position and highlight the target element.
For example, when sharing a link to a comment in the Activity tab or to an item in a meeting agenda, the element is automatically displayed near the top of the page and temporarily marked with a blue outline. This makes it clear what the link refers to, helping teams save time and avoid misunderstandings.
Confirm critical actions with more accessible danger dialogs
Accessibility is an ongoing priority for us, and with 16.5 we have improved how danger dialogs work for users of assistive technologies. These dialogs are shown when potentially destructive actions require an extra confirmation step.
In this release, we added ARIA semantics so that screen readers announce the relationship between the confirmation checkbox and the action button. When the checkbox is checked, users hear that the button to proceed is now active; when it is unchecked, they are informed that the button is inactive and that they need to tick the checkbox to continue.
Better access to helpful information
Finding the right information quickly is essential, especially when you are just getting started or want to dive deeper into specific features. With 16.5, we have updated the help menu in the header navigation (the ? icon on the right). The entries have been restructured, links refreshed, and localizations added to make it easier to find what you are looking for.
We also included a new Getting started video right inside the menu, giving new users a simple introduction to OpenProject and offering a helpful refresher for experienced teams. These changes are also reflected in the Community widget that is displayed on the home page of every new instance, so guidance is available right from the start.
OpenProject 16.5: Migration, installation, updates and support
You will find more information about all new features and changes in our Release notes or in the OpenProject Documentation.
If you need support, you can post your questions in the Community Forum, or if you are eligible for Enterprise support, please contact us and we are happy to support you personally.
New to OpenProject? To test all features of OpenProject 16.5 right away, create a 14 days free trial instance for our OpenProject Enterprise cloud.
Prefer to run OpenProject 16.5 in your own infrastructure? Here you can find the Installation guidelines for OpenProject.
A very special thank you goes to Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, City of Cologne, Deutsche Bahn and ZenDiS for sponsoring released or upcoming features. Your support, alongside the efforts of our amazing Community, helps drive these innovations. Also a big thanks to our Community members for reporting bugs and helping us identify and provide fixes. Special thanks for reporting and finding bugs go to Alexander Aleschenko, Lars Tiedemann, Akihiko Fujikawa, and Johannes Baumgarten.
Last but not least, we are very grateful for our very engaged translation contributors on Crowdin, who translated quite a few OpenProject strings! This release we would like to particularly thank the following users:
Samo, for a great number of translations into Turkish.
Kuma Yamashita, for a great number of translations into Japanese.
Would you like to help out with translations yourself? Then take a look at our translation guide and find out exactly how you can contribute. It is very much appreciated!
As always, we welcome any feedback on this release. 💙
We're just about due for the next-generation Apple silicon chip, which will kick off a new wave of Mac refreshes. The M5 chip is expected to make an appearance in some new products before the end of the year, but most Mac refreshes will happen in 2026.
We've rounded up current rumors on when we might see updates for Apple's notebook and desktop machines.
Since there was just one Mac model in the FCC leak, it's possible that Apple will update the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro with an M5 chip this year, introducing M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models in early 2026.
It's also entirely possible new M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max MacBook Pro models will all come out at the same time, either in 2025 around the late October timeframe, or in early 2026.
MacBook Air
New 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with M5 chips are expected in early 2026, right around the March or April timeframe. The M4 MacBook Air models came out in March 2025.
iMac
Apple added an M4 chip to the iMac in October 2024, so it could be updated alongside the 14-inch MacBook Pro models or alongside the M5 MacBook Air models. There haven't been rumors about specific timing, but it's one of the Macs that will be in the late 2025 to early 2026 timeframe.
Custom configurations of the iMac are delayed and won't ship to customers until later in October, much like the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which could be a sign of an imminent update.
Mac mini
The Mac mini could get a refresh as soon as early 2026. An alleged identifier for a Mac mini with an M5 chip was discovered in August, so it sounds like an upgrade is in the works.
Apple has not always refreshed the Mac mini with new chips, and it didn't end up getting the M3 and M3 Pro.
Timing isn't clear, but with no word about an update, it probably won't happen this year. Last year, the Mac mini got an M4 and M4 Pro update in October.
Mac Studio
Apple updated the Mac Studio with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips in March 2025, so an update isn't expected in the near future.
The Mac Studio isn't likely to get another refresh until M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips are ready, and there's no word on when that might be. We could be waiting until late 2026.
Mac Pro
The Mac Pro is still using the M2 Ultra chip from 2023, so it is due for an update.
Back in November 2024, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the Mac Pro would get an M4 Ultra chip with a 32-core CPU and 80-core GPU. He claimed that the Mac Pro would get the new chip sometime in mid-to-late 2025. We're past mid 2025 at this point, but we haven't heard much about the Mac Pro in recent weeks.
Earlier this year, Gurman backtracked on the M4 Ultra chip and said that Apple wasn't developing one. The M4 Max chip architecture does not have the UltraFusion functionality that allowed for prior-generation Ultra-series chips, so it's not likely that there's going to be an M4 Ultra at all.
Apple could either update the Mac Pro with the M3 Ultra that it added to the Mac Studio this year, or use an M5 Ultra chip. If Apple was going to update the Mac Pro with the M3 Ultra, it would have made sense to do so earlier this year with the Mac Studio refresh. Since that didn't happen, it looks like Apple is waiting for the M5 chips.
It often takes Apple more time to develop the Ultra versions of its M-series chips, so if the plan is an M5 Ultra chip, it's not likely going to be ready this year. Mid to late 2026 timing would make more sense for an M5 Ultra chip.
While most of the M5 Mac refreshes are going to happen in 2026, there are other M5 devices slated for launch in 2025. A new iPad Pro and a refreshed version of the Vision Pro are expected to have the M5 chip, and rumors suggest they're coming soon.
Apple could hold an event to unveil the M5 Apple silicon chip and the new products, or it could announce them with press releases.
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone will have a frame that's made from a mix of titanium and aluminum, analyst Jeff Pu said today in a note shared with investors.
Pu suggested that Apple will expand its use of titanium, with the material set to be used in both the 2026 iPhone Fold and iPhone Air models. This isn't the first time a mixed metal chassis has been rumored for the foldable iPhone, because Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said earlier this year that Apple will use multiple materials.
While Pu says Apple is going to use titanium and aluminum, Kuo said that Apple will use titanium and stainless steel. He suggested that the foldable iPhone's hinge will be made from stainless steel and titanium, with the device's frame set to be made from titanium. Kuo also believes some hinge components will be made from Liquidmetal for further durability.
The foldable iPhone is rumored to be as thin as 4.5mm when opened up, which would make it even thinner than the iPhone Air. It would need the strength of a titanium frame to prevent bending issues. Apple gave the iPhone Air a titanium frame, and that proved to be a good decision because multiple bend tests show that the titanium Apple used for the iPhone Air is resistant to bending.
Kuo did not mention aluminum as a potential material for the foldable iPhone. Pu's wording isn't entirely clear on how Apple will use the two materials, but he's either suggesting that Apple plans to use a titanium and aluminum hybrid compound for the device's frame, or saying Apple will use titanium in some areas and aluminum in other areas.
Additionally, the metal frame will turn favorable on increasing usage of titanium, which will likely be adopted by iPhone 18 Fold (titanium + aluminum) and iPhone 18 Air.
Small amounts of aluminum are often used in titanium alloys, and the two metals can be combined in higher proportions as well. Since titanium is heavier than aluminum, Apple might also be planning to use titanium for the stress bearing parts of the frame and aluminum elsewhere to cut weight.
Apple's foldable iPhone is expected to be part of the iPhone 18 lineup, launching in September 2026. Rumors suggest that the display will be around 5.5 inches in size when closed, unfolding to approximately 7.8 inches when opened up.
Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is coming to a close later today, so we're quickly recapping all of the best Apple and Apple-related deals that are still live on Amazon right now. Since many of these products have been on sale for a few days, shipping may be delayed, but they're all at some of the lowest prices we've ever seen.
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.
Amazon Prime Day requires you to have an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the discounts. Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139.00 per year, and it comes with a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.
Special for 2025, Amazon is also offering a free six month trial to Prime for Young Adults right now. Prime for Young Adults is a discounted Prime membership for anyone age 18-24 that offers all of the Prime benefits at $69.00 per year, half of the price of regular Prime.
AirPods
Numerous AirPods models have been discounted this week, with the most notable being the AirPods 4 for $89.00, down from $129.00. You'll also find a solid discount on the AirPods Pro 2 during this event.
We saw big discounts on numerous iPad models for Prime Big Deal Days, and all of these are still available right now. You can get all-time low prices on the 11-inch iPad and iPad mini 7, plus $150 off the iPad Air.
Amazon has all-time lows across every model of the M4 MacBook Air for Prime Day. In total, you'll find $200 off the M4 MacBook Air notebook right now, with both 13-inch and 15-inch models on sale.
There are a few accessories on sale during Prime Day, including a new all-time low price on the iPhone 17 Pro TechWoven Case, now available for $44.00, down from $59.00. You'll also find great deals on Apple Pencil Pro, MagSafe Charger, and the AirTag 4-Pack.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!