Apple

Apple

Apple has steadily expanded the Apple Watch's health monitoring features over the years, moving beyond fitness tracking into areas that can offer early insight into potential medical concerns. One of the most recent additions is hypertension alerts, which are designed to notify users when their blood pressure trends are elevated over time. While Apple Watches cannot directly measure blood pressure, this feature can still play a useful role in highlighting patterns that may be worth discussing with your doctor.

Among other additions, it features new topic sections concerning quantum security, single sign-on (SSO), and satellite communications: Quantum Security: Another VGT, Apple deployed postquantum cryptographic protection (PQ3) in iMessage in iOS 17.4 and macOS 14.4. This protection against future quantum-based attacks has now been extended in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, and watchOS 26, including the introduction of CryptoKit, which developers can use to help protect the software they offer on the platforms.

Under Cook, Apple has beaten EPS estimates in eight consecutive quarters, averaging 4.2% above consensus. Q2 2025 crushed estimates by nearly 10%. Revenue grew 7.9% year-over-year with operating margins at 31.7% and profit margins at 26.9%. The company generates $416 billion in annual revenue with a 171% return on equity. These aren't the numbers of a CEO who "hasn't done a thing."

Apple shared its latest quarterly financial results today and the news is once again very, very good for the Cupertino company. The quarter ending December 27, 2025 marked "the best-ever quarter" for iPhones, which generated a record high revenue of nearly $85.27 billion for the business. Apple doesn't disclose the number of devices sold any more, but even with the prices for many of its latest generation of smartphones surpassing $1,000 a pop, that's still got to be a heck of a lot of iPhones.

#641: Across the Country the Short Way

Apple has finally begun paying up for the Siri eavesdropping scandal. After a long-running legal battle, Apple has not only agreed to pay a $95 million settlement but has also begun payouts. According to reports on social media cited by USA Today, many Apple users have begun seeing the funds credited to their accounts. While official figures cap at $20 per device, some users who filed for more than one device reported receiving as low as $8.

This feels like a wait-and-see meeting, and we should all be listening to see if there's any hint or a bias towards a future action.

I'm heartbroken by the events in Minneapolis, and my prayers and deepest sympathies are with the families, with the communities, and with everyone that's been affected. This is a time for deescalation. I believe America is strongest when we live up to our highest ideals, when we treat everyone with dignity and respect no matter who they are or where they're from, and when we embrace our shared humanity.

Apple will turn its Siri assistant into a full-fledged chatbot by next year. The company is working on a personal AI device to compete with the one OpenAI is building with Jony Ive. And Apple is putting control over its AI strategy into new hands within the company. So say a flurry of new reports, all advancing the larger story that Apple is doing what it can to get itself back in the AI race.

With platforms that have arguably become the best devices on which to run and build AI, Apple is under great pressure to prove it can also provide AI services people will trust and use, while retaining the essential simplicity of the Apple user experience. For good or ill, the importance of AI will only grow in the coming years, meaning Apple is under serious pressure not just to deliver something good, but also to deliver something that satisfies expectations.

If you prefer over-ear headphones to earbuds and own an iPhone or another Apple device, the AirPods Max with USB-C are worth a look, especially now that you can buy them at Best Buy as part of a flash deal for $429.99 ($120 off) through tomorrow, January 27th. That's $30 shy of their lowest price to date, and a notable deal given these over-ears don't often drop below $449.99 outside of big sales events.