Google Maps renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America last week
Apple Maps still shows the traditional name for the Great Lake that straddles New York and Ontario, but the company may follow Google and U.S. federal maps after discussions with President Donald Trump, according to reporting around a new Reuters dispatch on Monday.
Trump signed an executive order on August 27th directing U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to change Lake Ontario to “Lake America” in federal usage, including the Geographic Names Information System, within 30 days.
Burgum moved quickly. “We’re on it, Mr. President,” he wrote on X. “The places and waters that border our nation and support our economy should reflect the greatness of the United States.”
We’re on it, Mr. President!
The places and waters that border our nation and support our economy should reflect the greatness of the United States.@USGS maps our country for the world to see, and we are PROUD to implement your Executive Order to rename LAKE AMERICA.
He also published a secretarial order to “immediately rename the body of water known as Lake Ontario to Lake America.” The U.S. Geological Survey later said the new name had been designated in official USGS electronic documents.
“We’re going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario effective immediately to Lake America,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “The lake change was something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, actually.”
He also said, “The Canadian officials have treated us very badly. They’re nasty people,” and later joked, “We have a gulf and we have a lake, now all we need is an ocean, so maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both.”
Google has already updated Maps for U.S. users. “Since we update Google Maps to reflect name changes in official government sources, which is GNIS for the U.S., people using Maps in the U.S. will see ‘Lake America,’ those in Canada will continue to see ‘Lake Ontario,’ and those outside of the U.S. and Canada will see both names,” Google said.
Apple Maps had not made the same switch as of August 31st. Apple did not immediately comment in earlier coverage. Last year it did adopt “Gulf of America” after Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico. MacDailyNews Take: The name change is unfolding inside a broader U.S.–Canada trade war after talks collapsed and both sides imposed tariffs. Any Apple Maps change would be a company decision, not a legal requirement of the executive order. Apple had not publicly confirmed an update as of the latest available reporting.
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Apple is preparing incremental updates to the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 for its September 9th event, while internally experimenting with a shorter Apple Pencil for its first foldable iPhone — an accessory that is unlikely to ship with the phone.
Apple Watch Edition Series 2 in brilliant white ceramic
Apple is preparing incremental updates to the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 for its September 9th event, while internally experimenting with a shorter Apple Pencil for its first foldable iPhone — an accessory that is unlikely to ship with the phone.
According to Bloomberg News‘ Mark Gurman, neither the Series 12 nor the Ultra 4 is expected to receive a major design overhaul versus last year’s Series 11 and Ultra 3. Touch ID is not expected this cycle. What Apple has tested is a return of ceramic cases for the Series 12, in both white and dark gray finishes reminiscent of the high-end Series 3 from 2017. New band colors and configurations are also in the works.
The more meaningful work is inside the watch. After multiple years on essentially the same silicon, the new models are expected to get a faster chip — likely an S11 or similar — along with health and fitness upgrades. One feature in testing would let the heart-rate sensor collect data continuously throughout the day rather than in periodic snapshots. Apple is also reworking its Health and Fitness apps so they surface wellness metrics in a style closer to dedicated trackers such as Whoop and Oura.
A broader Apple Watch redesign is still planned, but not for this generation. This year’s watches are framed as a modest step: more speed, richer all-day health data, and a premium ceramic option, not a new silhouette.
The foldable iPhone, expected to debut at the same September event and often referred to internally as iPhone Ultra, prompted a more unusual experiment. Apple prototyped, tested, and considered selling a dedicated Apple Pencil sized for the device. The stylus was stubbier than iPad Pencils to match the shorter height of the folded phone. Like current Pencils, it was designed to snap magnetically to the side for storage and charging.
That side mount is part of why the accessory is not expected to launch next month. A Pencil parked along the tall edge gets in the way when the phone is opened — including the many times a user has no intention of drawing. The other problem is the display itself. Foldable panels use a softer top layer than conventional glass; a hard stylus tip can leave visible marks similar to a fingernail.
Steve Jobs famously dismissed phone styluses when the original iPhone launched. Apple later built a highly refined Pencil for iPad. For the first folding iPhone, the company got far enough to weigh a companion stylus, then appears to have concluded the engineering and product-fit problems outweigh the benefit — at least for day one.
MacDailyNews Take: The September 9th event is still expected to center on iPhone 18 Pro models and the foldable, with Series 12 and Ultra 4 as the wearable counterparts. Buyers looking for a ceramic Watch or continuous heart-rate logging may find those in the new hardware and software. Buyers hoping the foldable arrives with a pocket-sized Pencil should plan on fingers for now.
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An AI-generated image (Grok) from the prompt (August 29, 2026): “Make an image of how you see yourself, Grok.”
Grok, the AI assistant from xAI, is still one of the most useful AI tools on Apple devices. The standalone iPhone and iPad app is mature, grok.com is the full desktop experience, and since August 2026 there is also an official Grok Bot Mac and iPhone app — a separate product for handing off real work, not a replacement for chat.
There is still no official native Grok chat app for macOS. If a site offers a “Grok for Mac” DMG that isn’t Grok Bot from x.ai/bot or Cursor’s downloads, treat it as unofficial.
On iPhone and iPad (best everyday experience)
The official app is Grok (listed as Grok – AI Assistant, “AI chat & video generation”). Developer: xAI; App Store seller: X Corp. It runs on iPhone and iPad and also supports Apple Vision.
Open the App Store and search Grok. Confirm the listing is from xAI / X Corp. (App ID 6670324846).
Download the free app. It requires iOS 17 or later or iPadOS 17 or later.
Sign in with your xAI / X account, Apple Account, or email.
What the app actually does:
• Real-time answers with web and X search, plus deeper research modes
• Grok Imagine: images and short videos (including ~6-second clips with sound, and photo-to-video)
• Voice Mode, including Live Camera so Grok can see what you see
• Photo, document, and link analysis
• Optional AI companions (Ani, Rudi, Valentine) if you want character-style chats
• Model switching inside the app as newer Grok 4.x models roll out
Older iPhones that cannot run iOS 17 cannot install this app. Use the X app (older iOS supported) or Safari at grok.com instead.
Useful iPhone extras
• Add a Home Screen or Lock Screen widget if the app offers one in the widget gallery.
• Action Button: Settings → Action Button → Shortcut, then pick a Grok shortcut if the app published one.
• Siri Shortcuts still work if you’ve added Grok actions.
Separate app: Grok Bot on iPhone (and Mac)
Do not confuse this with the main Grok app.
Grok Bot is an agent product: AI teammates that get their own cloud computer, sign into the tools you already use, and keep working after you close the laptop. The iPhone app is iPhone-only, requires iOS 18 or later, and is listed separately in the App Store. It is not an iPad app.
Access started as a tight beta (SuperGrok Heavy / high-end Cursor plans) and has been widening. Eligibility still depends on plan; check x.ai/bot or the App Store listing before you assume you can sign in. Android for Bot is not the main path yet.
On Mac
For chatting, Imagine, voice-on-web, research, and coding help: use the browser.
RecommendedOpen Safari (or Chrome) and go to grok.com.
Sign in.
In Safari: File → Add to Dock to get a standalone window. That is still the cleanest official “app-like” Grok chat on a Mac.
Also useful:
• Grok inside the X.com website
• iPhone Mirroring (recent macOS + a paired iPhone) to run the full iOS Grok app on the Mac screen
• Grok Bot if you want agents, not a chatbot: official macOS app (Apple silicon and Intel builds) from x.ai/bot. Drag Grok Bot.app to Applications and sign in with an eligible account. Homebrew Cask even tracks it as grok-bot.
What is not official:
• Random “Grok Desktop” wrappers on GitHub or third-party download sites
• Mac App Store apps that merely wrap the API and use the Grok name
• “Grok Build” community GUIs — the official coding path is the Grok Build CLI / web / mobile Build features, not a consumer Mac chat app
xAI has said native Grok chat desktop apps are in development. As of August 29, 2026, they have not replaced grok.com.
@samat
Quick start tips (all devices)
• Free tier exists, with rate limits. Paid tiers unlock higher limits, newer models, and Imagine/video headroom. Names you’ll see in the app: SuperGrok Lite, SuperGrok, SuperGrok Plus, SuperGrok Heavy, plus X Premium / Premium+ bundles. List prices have been in the roughly $10 / $30 / $100 / $300 range in the U.S., but they move and are localized — confirm in the app or on xAI’s pricing page before you subscribe.
• Be specific. Grok is better when you give constraints, files, and the outcome you want.
• Switch models in the picker when you need speed versus heavier reasoning.
• Advanced Imagine canvas work is still often better on the web than on the phone.
• Same account follows you across grok.com, the Grok app, and X.
MacDailyNews Take: In a nutshel: On iPhone and iPad, install the official Grok app and you’re done. On a Mac, grok.com in a Dock web app is still the real Grok. Add Grok Bot only if you want agents that work in your tools — it is a different product, with different requirements.
Whether you’re brainstorming ideas on your Mac, analyzing a photo on your iPhone, or just having a fun conversation on your iPad, Grok brings a refreshingly honest and capable AI experience to your Apple devices.
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