Apple's Original iPod Won't Work With macOS Tahoe 26
Those still rocking an original iPod are set to find it even harder to keep it going as Apple appears to be dropping support for the original devices with the upcoming macOS Tahoe 26.
Some early adopters of the new macOS discovered that the first developer preview removes support for FireWire, the tech used to connect the first two generations of iPod to a Mac to sync across audio files.
That means the original iPod from 2001, and the iPod 2nd Gen Touch Wheel from 2002, won't connect for syncing on macOS Tahoe 26. The 3rd Gen iPod from 2003 gained USB support for syncing alongside FireWire, so those iPods and later devices should continue to connect.
As reported by MacRumors, NekoMichiUBC on X noted that when they tried to connect their iPod to a Mac running the latest software, they were met with a blank screen. This also means older external hard drives that rely on FireWire won't be supported, as one Reddit user found out after connecting a FireWire 800 external drive.
Apple has yet to formally confirm the end of FireWire support. That may mean this is a mistake and the company will change course for its final software release in September. But don't hold your breathe, considering the age of the tech. (Apple discontinued the iPod lineup in 2022.) We asked Apple for clarification on FireWire support, and we'll update this story when we hear back.
Apple first introduced FireWire support on some 1997 Mac models, before gradually expanding to the full range with it appearing on many products between 1999 and 2011. The technology itself is nearing its 40th birthday next year.
It's remarkable the company has continued to support FireWire, and therefore the original iPod, over the last 23 years. If you want to continue syncing your iPod with your Mac, you'll need an older device that isn't upgraded to the latest software so you can continue to connect it.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Is This Growth Stock-Heavy Vanguard ETF Worth Doubling Up on in July?
Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple have contributed significant gains to the S&P 500 over the last decade. Many excellent tech companies make up a fraction of the S&P 500 but are better represented in the Vanguard Information Technology ETF. The tech sector is valued based on future earnings growth, so delivering on expectations is paramount to justify lofty valuations. 10 stocks we like better than Vanguard Information Technology ETF › Investors who doubled up on top growth stocks during the rapid sell-off in April were handsomely rewarded -- as the broader indexes are now hovering around all-time highs. But long-term investors know that the truly massive gains aren't made by timing the market or being fortunate enough to put capital to work during a sell-off. Rather, the rewards come from holding shares in excellent companies or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) long-term and letting those investments compound over time. Despite making new highs, there are still plenty of top tech stocks worth buying now for patient investors. Technology is the highest-weighted sector in the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) -- making up nearly a third of the index. The Vanguard Information Technology ETF (NYSEMKT: VGT) closely tracks this sector and charges a mere 0.09% expense ratio, or $9 for every $10,000 invested. Here's why the fund could still be worth buying now, as well as factors that could make it a poor choice for some investors. Ten years ago, Apple and Microsoft had a combined market cap of around $1.1 trillion, and Nvidia was a mere $11 billion company. Today, each of these tech companies has a market cap over $3 trillion -- and over $10.3 trillion combined. Put another way, these three companies have added around $9 trillion in market cap to the S&P 500 in the last decade, while the S&P 500 has added just over $29 trillion. That means Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple have contributed roughly a third of the gains in the index in the last 10 years. Understanding just how vital these names have been to broader market returns illustrates the impact of asymmetric gains. Today, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple make up 18.6% of the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF -- which tracks the index -- and 45.7% in the Vanguard Information Technology ETF. So, if you want outsized exposure to these three companies, the tech sector may pique your interest. It's worth mentioning that while Microsoft and Nvidia stocks hover near all-time highs, Apple has been a noticeable laggard -- down close to 20% year to date. Without that underperformance, the ETF would be up even higher. Outside of those three top holdings, the tech sector offers far more exposure to software companies and the semiconductor industry than is available from an ETF that mirrors the performance of the S&P 500 or Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC). In fact, semiconductors make up 28.8% of the Vanguard Tech ETF -- led by Nvidia's 14.2% weighting and Broadcom's 4.5% weighting. Perhaps the most attractive quality of the tech sector is its diversified exposure to artificial intelligence (AI). Chip companies provide the computing power needed to handle increasingly complex AI models. Software companies like Salesforce are using AI to enhance their services through AI agents and other tools. Similarly, Microsoft has integrated AI tools through Copilots across its Microsoft 365 suite, as well as other platforms like GitHub for developers. Microsoft Azure is the No. 2 cloud computing service behind Amazon Web Services. However, it's worth noting that Amazon and Google Cloud parent company, Alphabet, are not in the Vanguard tech ETF because Amazon is in the Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF, and Alphabet is in the Vanguard Communications ETF. Many legacy tech companies that spent years underperforming the major benchmarks are undergoing resurgences thanks to AI. International Business Machines, Cisco Systems, and Oracle are examples of veteran tech companies that participate in the AI ecosystem through cloud, hardware, and/or software offerings. In sum, there are many phenomenal growth companies in the tech sector outside of the big three players. However, these companies make up a fraction of the S&P 500 index funds. So, buying directly into the tech sector is a good way to increase the impact of the companies in your portfolio. The Vanguard Tech sector ETF can be an excellent tool for getting exposure to Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, and hundreds of other tech companies. But before diving headfirst into the ETF, it's worth considering how the holdings will fit into your existing portfolio and if they match your risk tolerance. For example, if you already have a sizable position in one or more of those big three top holdings, then buying the Vanguard Tech ETF may be adding more exposure than you intended. Or if you hold growth-focused ETFs or even an S&P 500 ETF, then you already indirectly own many of the stocks in the Vanguard Tech ETF. So, if you're looking to invest more capital in tech stocks and are OK with boosting your exposure to existing holdings, the Vanguard Tech ETF could be a good idea. Another factor to consider is risk tolerance. Tech has dominated the broader market in recent years, which has inflated the valuations of many tech companies. To justify those valuations, earnings have to continue growing at impressive rates. Nvidia is a textbook example. The stock has skyrocketed to new highs, but so have the company's earnings. Over the last three years, Nvidia's stock price has jumped 835% -- but earnings are up 916% thanks to data center demand. So Nvidia's valuation has remained reasonable because it has sustained earnings growth. But the stock could look expensive if that growth cools off, even for factors outside of the company's control. The tech sector can be highly volatile due to its cyclical nature and valuations based on future growth projections. The Vanguard Tech ETF is only worth considering if you're OK with these risks and how the ETF would fit into your existing portfolio. It may seem counterintuitive to buy stocks or an ETF that has increased so quickly. But the best companies grow into their valuations over time, and the tech sector is full of top companies. All told, the Vanguard Tech ETF may be worth a closer look in July. Another option is to scan the fund's holdings and select individual companies you don't own and want to build a position in. That way, you aren't putting an uncomfortable amount of money into existing holdings. Before you buy stock in Vanguard Information Technology ETF, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Vanguard Information Technology ETF wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $697,627!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $939,655!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,045% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 178% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 30, 2025 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Daniel Foelber has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Cisco Systems, International Business Machines, Microsoft, Nvidia, Oracle, Salesforce, and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is This Growth Stock-Heavy Vanguard ETF Worth Doubling Up on in July? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
This Is the Best Vanguard ETF to Buy Right Now, and It's Not Even Close
Traditional portfolio theory warns against overweighting sector funds, but the digital revolution demands new thinking. This Vanguard tech fund has crushed the S&P 500 with 20.3% annual returns over the past 10 years, versus 11.1% for the broader market. This single ETF provides exposure to artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, robotics, and the entire technology stack reshaping our economy. 10 stocks we like better than Vanguard Information Technology ETF › Every investing textbook tells you the same thing: Don't put too much money in sector-specific exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Diversify broadly. Own the whole market. This advice made perfect sense -- in 1995. But the economy is undergoing a fundamental transformation that makes the old playbook dangerously obsolete. The Vanguard Information Technology ETF (NYSEMKT: VGT) isn't just another tech fund. It's your ticket to owning the companies building the next economy -- one that is rapidly emerging from the shadows. Look at the performance gap and try not to gasp. Over the past 10 years (2015 to 2025), this Vanguard tech fund has delivered a staggering 20.3% annualized return. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC)? A respectable but comparatively pedestrian 11.1%. That 9.2-percentage-point difference might sound modest, but compound it over time, and you're talking about life-changing wealth creation. A $10,000 investment in the Vanguard Information Technology ETF 10 years ago would be worth roughly $62,000 today, versus $30,000 in an S&P 500 fund. This isn't a temporary anomaly driven by tech euphoria. Technology spending is projected to reach $5.74 trillion in 2025 -- a 9.3% increase from 2024. But here's what few investors understand: That figure barely scratches the surface. Technology isn't just growing as a sector. It's absorbing every other sector. Banks? They're technology companies that happen to move money. Retailers? Tech companies that happen to sell products. Auto manufacturers? Software companies wrapped in metal. When everything is technology, owning "just tech" means owning everything. Tech is the foundation of modern society. The "Magnificent Seven" stocks in this fund trade at valuations that make traditional investors uncomfortable. Apple is at 26 times forward earnings. Microsoft stock is commanding a premium of 32 times forward earnings. Nvidia, for its part, trades at over 35 times projected earnings. But here's what the bears miss: We're not pricing in yesterday's growth. We're pricing in tomorrow's revolution. Consider artificial general intelligence (AGI). Five years ago, AGI was science fiction -- something for 2050 or beyond. Today? We're arguably witnessing its primitive birth. ChatGPT can write code, analyze data, and reason through complex problems. It's not true AGI yet, but it's close enough to transform industries. And this primitive version is only getting smarter. Every month brings breakthroughs that would have seemed impossible a year earlier. When AGI fully arrives -- and it's now a question of when, not if -- the economic implications are staggering. McKinsey estimates artificial intelligence (AI) could add $13 trillion to global economic output by 2030. That's the equivalent of adding another economy the size of the United States. The companies building this future deserve premium valuations because they're not just growing revenues. They're creating entirely new categories of human possibility. Yes, the Vanguard Information Technology ETF is top-heavy. Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia comprise about 45% of the fund right now. Critics point to this concentration as a weakness. They're missing the forest for the trees. These aren't just big companies -- they're the architects of our digital infrastructure. Microsoft's Azure powers the cloud. Nvidia's chips enable AI. Apple's ecosystem defines how billions interact with technology daily. But this fund's real genius lies in what else it owns: over 300 companies building tomorrow's breakthroughs. Palantir Technologies is turning data into strategic advantage. Cadence Design Systems creates the software that designs next-generation chips. Advanced Micro Devices is challenging Intel's dominance. Quantum computing pioneers. Cybersecurity innovators. Robotics manufacturers. The Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund is the big tent of tech. This isn't picking winners in the AI race or betting on which quantum computing start-up will succeed. It's owning the entire ecosystem. When one company stumbles, another surges. When new technologies emerge, they're automatically added. The fund rebalances itself, ensuring you own tomorrow's giants, not just today's. Traditional wisdom says to stay broadly diversified across most, if not all, sectors. But when one sector is rewriting the rules of every business on Earth, traditional wisdom becomes tomorrow's regret. The tried-and-true investing strategies must be redrawn for a world where software eats everything, AI makes decisions, and quantum computers solve the unsolvable. The Vanguard Information Technology ETF isn't just the best Vanguard ETF to buy right now. For investors who understand where the world is heading, it's not even close. Before you buy stock in Vanguard Information Technology ETF, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Vanguard Information Technology ETF wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $697,627!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $939,655!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,045% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 178% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 30, 2025 George Budwell has positions in Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Palantir Technologies, and Vanguard Information Technology ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Apple, Cadence Design Systems, Intel, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft, short August 2025 $24 calls on Intel, and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This Is the Best Vanguard ETF to Buy Right Now, and It's Not Even Close was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio


Gizmodo
22 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Apple Suddenly Drops AirPods Max Below Its Black Friday Price for Everyone, Not Just for Prime Members
If you're an Apple fan, then your life will generally be a little bit easier if you choose to stick within that ecosystem when it comes to your other tech. You can get tablets, smartwatches, and MacBooks, sure, but the most common addition to an iPhone user's arsenal is AirPods. These are the best headphones for Apple users, and some of the best available in general as well. See at Amazon Well, that's where a good deal can come in incredibly handy. Being able to save any money on these excellent headphones is a huge deal, especially so when you're looking at the top-end options like Apple AirPods Max. Well, thanks to a deal available on Amazon right now, you can currently get these incredible headphones at 13% off. That means they're down to $480 for a limited time. Apple AirPods Max are over-ear headphones, so they're a lot more comfortable if you're someone who doesn't like having earbuds in. Actually, they're just really comfortable in general, thanks to the incredible design at work here. They also sound incredible, with functions like active noise cancelling and spatial audio allowing these to deliver sound in an unparalleled way. If you're an audiophile and an Apple user, these are the headphones you're probably dreaming of. Along with that, you've got all manner of controls on them to allow you to change the volume, pause and play your songs or podcasts, and even mute yourself when you're on calls. They've got an immense battery life as well, allowing you to listen nonstop for up to 20 hours on a full charge. On top of all of that, if you're someone who really wants to look good while your music sounds good, then you'll be happy to know that they come in a few different colors as well. While pricey at the standard price of $549, these headphones really are worth it for those who can afford to get them. So, this discount, while not massive, is big enough to make them even better value for money at $480. We don't know how long this deal will last though, and given that they don't need to get discounted to sell, it's not worth waiting around for too long just in case you end up missing out on them. All five colors are on sale at this price too, which is always nice. See at Amazon