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The FCC this week banned all new "foreign-produced advanced robotic devices" because of an "unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States." The government says networked robotic systems lead to vulnerabilities that allow bad actors to control the devices and collect surveillance data from Americans. Advanced robotic devices are defined as software-controlled autonomous robots that can move, navigate obstacles, and have a sensor that can perceive the environment. The ban isn't focused on just humanoid robots, and it includes robot vacuum cleaners too. Almost all robot vacuums are sold by companies located in China or are manufactured in China. Even Roomba maker iRobot, once a flagship American vacuum company, is now owned by a Chinese company after bankruptcy. Companies are able to keep importing and selling robot vacuums already on the market, but new models will need to get approval from the government. As The Verge notes, getting approval requires a commitment to invest in U.S. manufacturing, but no investigation into security practices despite multiple mentions of national security concerns. Future Matter-enabled smart vacuums that work with HomeKit from companies like Roborock and Ecovacs may not be able to be sold in the U.S., leaving few options for U.S. consumers unless the companies pledge to move manufacturing to the United States. Along with robot vacuums, the FCC has banned new humanoid and quadruped robots, plus foreign-made power inverters. Tags: HomeKit , Matter This article, " FCC Bans New Foreign-Made Robot Vacuums, Threatening Future Matter and HomeKit Models " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple CEO Tim Cook today said Apple would be making a donation to support earthquake relief efforts in Japan. A magnitude 6.8 earthquake (per the USGS) hit the Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island on Tuesday, collapsing buildings and killing at least 34 people. Japan has a very special place in my heart. We're thinking of everyone as they continue to face the effects of the Kumamoto earthquake and aftershocks. We're grateful to the first responders helping those in need. Apple is making a donation to support relief efforts. — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) July 30, 2026 Aftershocks continued on Wednesday and Thursday. Kyushu is the third largest of Japan's four main islands, and it has the second-highest population. Apple often donates to the Red Cross for relief efforts during natural disasters, but donation amounts are not shared. Last night, Cook said Apple was donating to wildfire relief efforts in France, Spain, and other countries. Kumamoto was previously hit with a deadly earthquake in 2016, and Apple collected donations for Japan through iTunes. Tag: Donations This article, " Apple Donating to Japan Earthquake Relief Efforts " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Spotify today announced a new Running Mode that turns playlists into structured running sessions built around workout type, tempo, and listening habits. It's launching on iOS first. Located in the app's Fitness Hub, the feature lets runners choose from 25 presets that can be tweaked to fit workout type (interval, steady, or pyramid, for example), with options for duration, beats per minute, and the preferred kind of music. Spotify then matches track selection to the chosen tempo and moves through songs as the session progresses. Optional audio cues can be enabled to guide users through their run, although these are English-only for now. Spotify suggests the feature grew out of its fitness-based " Prompted Playlists ," a natural-language playlist feature that has seen a lot of fitness prompts directed its way. Running Mode sits alongside the fitness content Spotify added in April, when it began featuring Peloton classes and creator workout videos in the app. Strava discontinued its in-app Spotify integration late last month , and removed the music controls that had lived in Strava's workout display since 2023, so Spotify's new mode could be a timely salve for runners who want to keep listening. Spotify says the new Running Mode is available to premium subscribers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden, starting today. Tag: Spotify This article, " Spotify Adds Running Mode to iOS App With Tempo-Matched Music " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Tim Cook will participate in his final Apple earnings call as the company's CEO today. The call begins at 2 p.m. Pacific Time / 5 p.m. Eastern Time. Cook and CFO Kevan Parekh will discuss Apple's earnings results for the second quarter of the 2026 calendar year on the live-streamed conference call. While the call is primarily intended for Apple shareholders and Wall Street analysts, anyone can listen live for free on Apple's Investor Relations website , with no registration required. The call should last around one hour. Cook and Parekh will read their prepared remarks, and then they will take questions from analysts. If you miss the call, a recording will be available for replay on the page later in the day. Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus is taking over as CEO on September 1 , so Cook will no longer be CEO when the next earnings call occurs. Tags: AAPL , Earnings , Tim Cook This article, " You Can Listen to Tim Cook's Final Earnings Call as Apple CEO Today " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
