Signify has launched Sports Live, a new feature for Philips Hue and WiZ smart lighting products that synchronizes lighting effects with live soccer match data in real time (via Hue Blog).


The feature is rolling out now for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Sports Live uses live match data to trigger lighting changes at key in-game moments, including goals, yellow cards, and red cards, with the aim of making at-home viewing feel more immersive.

Unlike traditional TV sync systems that rely on HDMI-based hardware to analyze on-screen content, Sports Live connects directly to live match data and responds to events as they occur, eliminating the need for additional synchronization hardware. During quieter periods, lights adapt to reflect a favorite team's colors, the leading team's colors, or a neutral white when the score is tied.

Setup is handled through either the Philips Hue or WiZ mobile app. In the Hue app, the feature is found under the Sync tab, where users select a room or zone, which must include at least one color-capable light, and optionally choose favorite teams to receive match suggestions.

Current games appear directly in the Sync tab, with a separate list available for upcoming fixtures. Sports Live automatically starts 15 minutes before kickoff once a match is selected, and a delay adjustment tool lets viewers sync lighting effects to their specific broadcast.

After setup, users can still customize the default scene, brightness, and room. Any lights paired with Hue Sync Box take priority and will not be used for Sports Live. WiZ users can access the feature through the company's Wi-Fi platform without requiring a hub.

The Philips Hue 5.69 app update that delivers Sports Live also introduces a new Bridge zone, which consolidates all devices and automations across an entire Hue Bridge into a single group on the home dashboard, with options to create scenes and hide or rearrange groups. The zone appears in the "Hidden" section by default and must be manually surfaced.

Sports Live is compatible with existing Hue and WiZ entertainment features, including Hue Sync and WiZ Sync with TV, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup now underway in Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.
This article, "Philips Hue and WiZ Launch Sports Live Feature for the 2026 World Cup" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

A known Weibo leaker has reiterated that the iPhone 18 Pro will retain its aluminum alloy build, while issuing a specific warning that the new color options may be susceptible to paint peeling.


In a new Weibo post, the leaker "Fixed Focus Digital" said the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ "will still feature an aluminum alloy build" and noted that heat dissipation is "indeed excellent." The leaker then added a pointed caveat: anyone unfamiliar with the durability problems that plagued the iPhone 17 Pro should "be careful about potential paint-peeling issues with the new color options."

Fixed Focus Digital previously pointed out that surface chipping on the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ is a common complaint, and that users who seek recourse from Apple are often told they cannot claim it, with the company classifying the issue as an inherent characteristic of the aluminum alloy material and normal wear and tear. The leaker added at the time that the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ would "continue to utilize this same design approach" despite its weaknesses.

The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ moved away from the titanium frames Apple used in its Pro lineup for the previous two years, adopting an anodized aluminum unibody design. Surface durability concerns surfaced almost immediately after launch. Reports suggested that Dark Blue and Cosmic Orange models appeared to scratch more easily than other finishes, with MacRumors forum users describing visible marks on in-store display units within days of availability.

A scratch test by YouTuber JerryRigEverything added some nuance, finding that most of the anodized shell holds up well against everyday items like keys and coins, but pinpointing the camera plateau as a clear weak point where the raised, unchamfered edges chip and scratch easily.

A separate issue emerged the following month, when a number of Cosmic Orange ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ owners reported color shift, with the aluminum frame and camera plateau drifting toward a rose-gold or pink hue and in some cases prompting device replacements by Apple Support.

Rumors point to four color options for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models: Dark Cherry, Light Blue, Dark Gray, and Silver. Dark Cherry is expected to serve as the signature new color, described as a deep, wine-like red that is considerably more muted than last year's Cosmic Orange. The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ is not expected to offer a black option for the second consecutive year, but the rumored gray option could come very close.

The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max are expected to be announced in September 2026, alongside the first foldable iPhone.
This article, "Leaker Warns iPhone 18 Pro New Colors May Face Same Durability Issues" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple last week announced a series of new App Store features, including personalized app recommendations and expanded tools for developers to market their apps.


The most visible change for users is Personalized Collections, a new discovery feature that surfaces app and game recommendations tailored to individual interests and behavior. Alongside each recommendation, new "App Notes" explain why a specific app is being surfaced.

The collections can appear across the Apps, Games, and Search tabs, and will evolve over time as users' download and usage patterns change. Apple says the feature is now available in English in the U.S., with additional languages and regions to follow.

For developers, Apple introduces Creative Assets, rich images and videos that can appear in a product page header and search results, going beyond standard screenshots and app preview clips. These assets can be used to highlight seasonal content, new features, or brand identity, and are compatible with custom product pages and Apple's existing product page optimization testing tools.

A new Asset Library in ‌App Store‌ Connect gives developers a single place to manage all creative materials, with the ability to reuse assets across in-app events and promotions without re-uploading them. Developers can also submit assets for App Review approval independently of a full app update, which is useful for time-sensitive campaigns.

Mac App Store apps and games no longer require Intel support, allowing developers to ship Apple silicon-only binaries. Apple is also allowing developers to group multiple In-App Purchases into a single App Review submission, streamlining the process.

Apple also announced that the age rating questionnaire in ‌App Store‌ Connect will be updated in July to allow developers to indicate whether their app includes social media capabilities such as interacting with user-generated content through a social feed. This ties into new Time Allowances features coming in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, which give parents more granular controls over how much time children spend in apps across categories including Entertainment, Games, and Social Media.
This article, "Apple Adds Personalized Recommendations and New Marketing Tools to the App Store" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple developed more for its next-generation software updates than it revealed at WWDC last week, with three features already present in internal builds being deliberately withheld from the public announcement, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.


Writing in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman says all three missing features are active in internal versions of Apple's operating systems on employee devices today, and each is expected to surface publicly at a later date.

Customizable Camera App

A customizable Camera app for the iPhone, first reported by Gurman in May, also failed to appear at WWDC. The feature would let users rearrange camera controls as widgets along the top of the interface, choosing from options like flash, exposure, timer, depth of field, photo styles, and resolution.

Gurman believes Apple is holding it back specifically for the iPhone 18 Pro, which is expected to bring the most significant camera hardware upgrade in several years.

Siri Extensions

The most notable omission is Extensions, a framework that would allow third-party AI chatbots beyond ChatGPT to integrate with Siri, Apple Intelligence, and features like Writing Tools and Image Playground. Gurman says underlying support for Extensions is already present and visible in the first iOS 27 developer beta, with both a dedicated settings panel and an App Store section built and waiting to be switched on.

Apple has reportedly already held discussions with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google about the framework, including details about an entitlement those companies would need to apply for. Gurman says he has "no doubt" the feature will arrive eventually.

As for why the Extensions feature was kept out of the WWDC, Gurman offers four theories. Firstly, demonstrating strong AI interoperability could weaken Apple's ongoing argument against EU regulators. Secondly, announcing robust third-party chatbot support could have overshadowed Apple's own Siri overhaul. Thirdly, the threat of litigation from OpenAI may have persuaded Apple to avoid publicly stripping ChatGPT of its exclusive status at its developer conference. Finally, adding a range of external AI options would have further complicated Apple's messaging at a time when it already needed to explain its use of Google's AI models in ‌Siri‌ AI.

Anyone running the first ‌iOS 27‌ or macOS Golden Gate betas can already see a chatbot picker allowing users to switch between ‌Siri‌ and ChatGPT; Gurman says that list is expected to grow via the new developer framework and ‌App Store‌ section. The feature has reportedly been in active use inside Apple for months.

Modular Watch Face

A new Modular watch face for Apple Watch was among the items Gurman had flagged as expected at WWDC but did not appear. Gurman's earlier claim that watchOS 27 would introduce new faces centered on a simplified take on the Modular Ultra design currently exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra.

Gurman now expects the new face to debut alongside new Apple Watch models this fall.
This article, "These Three Unannounced iOS 27 and watchOS 27 Features Are Still Coming" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple may eventually build a direct competitor to OpenClaw, an agentic AI system capable of autonomously operating software on behalf of the user, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes.


Writing in his Power On newsletter, Gurman says he expects Apple to develop a system that could fully operate iPhone, iPad, and Mac software on the user's behalf. The prediction comes on the back of comments made by Apple's Siri engineering chief, Mike Rockwell, following last week's WWDC keynote.

Rockwell appeared to leave the door open for ‌Siri‌ to expand beyond its current capabilities, describing the new engine underpinning the assistant as "a completely modern architecture" built with extensibility in mind:

[An agent is] something that is operating on a loop of information coming in, making decisions, and then taking action. And ours is primarily request based today.
 But the underpinning architecture for Siri is a completely modern architecture, and so our ability to extend in the future is is very similar.

Apple's SVP of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, acknowledged the broader category but was measured in his framing of it, describing the space as experimental and saying that finding the right user experience remains the priority, while stopping short of ruling out Apple's eventual participation.

Apple's upcoming ‌Siri‌ implementation is newly rebuilt on a large language model foundation, and remains a request-based system. Full computer-use agentic functionality of the kind offered by OpenClaw and similar tools from Google and Anthropic would represent a significant expansion beyond what Apple announced last week.
This article, "Apple Could Build an OpenClaw Competitor Eventually" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums