France is investigating Apple over allegations that it deliberately limits the repair options for its smartphones, potentially rendering them obsolete.France investigates AppleWhen using Apple's self-service repair program, customers are required to provide the serial number of their device when ordering parts for products such as iPhones and Macs. Moreover, any parts obtained through this program must be matched with the specific intended device, ensuring proper installation and compatibility. Read more...

France has been investigating Apple since December after the organization Halte à l'Obsolescence Programmée (HOP) accused the company of "planned obsolescence" over serialized repair parts, according to French news agency AFP. Apple's self-service repair program requires customers to enter a device's serial number when ordering parts for devices like iPhones and Macs, and any parts ordered need to be paired with the same device after installation. HOP said this policy gives Apple the potential to restrict repairs to approved technicians only, and limit the functionality of devices repaired with uncertified parts. The organization added that Apple's self-service repair program is bad for the environment given that Apple ships large and heavy tools to customers. Do-it-yourself repair website iFixit also expressed…

Half a year after its debut, the continues to stand out amongst the competition for its unique, minimalistic design, and ease of installation. Level Home’s smart lock is also one of just a handful of smart locks that support Apple Home Key – a feature introduced with iOS 15 that allows for NFC control via an Apple Watch or iPhone. Is this Level Lock+ the best smart lock for users knee-deep in the Apple ecosystem? Watch my hands-on video review for the details. more… The post Level Lock+ long-term review – the connected lock that doesn’t try to outsmart you [Video] appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Apple today seeded second the release candidate (RC) version of macOS Ventura 13.4 to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming just a few days after Apple released the first RC. The RC represents the final version of ‌macOS Ventura‌ 13.4 that will be provided to the public. Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, with the betas available through the Software Update mechanism in System Settings. According to Apple's release notes, the update adds a Sports feed in the sidebar of Apple News and it addresses several bugs, including one that would prevent the Mac Auto Unlock feature from working with the Apple Watch.macOS Ventura 13.4 includes…

The 70mai Dash Cam Omni is a 360-degree dash camera with various AI and smart features, helping you drive without worrying — but the installation can be a pain.Automobile safety is a priority for most. The Omni combines all the convenient bells and whistles someone would want in a car camera and puts it in a relatively small package. With a small screen on the front, the Omni interacts with the user through an animated face or by showing what it's recording.To understand the 360-degree POV, the Omni technically has a 340-degree swivel with a 140-degree field of vision, making it very effective for shooting video and pictures of the road, what's next to the car, and the passengers. Read…

The 70mai Dash Cam Omni is a 360-degree dash camera with various AI and smart features, helping you drive without worrying — but the installation can be a pain.Automobile safety is a priority for most. The Omni combines all the convenient bells and whistles someone would want in a car camera and puts it in a relatively small package. With a small screen on the front, the Omni interacts with the user through an animated face or by showing what it's recording.To understand the 360-degree POV, the Omni technically has a 340-degree swivel with a 140-degree field of vision, making it very effective for shooting video and pictures of the road, what's next to the car, and the passengers. Read…