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Today in Apple history: Apple embraces over-the-air iOS updates

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ios 5
Over-the-air iOS updates took iTunes out of the equation (and leveled the playing field with Android).
Photo: Apple

May 4: Today in Apple history: Apple embraces over-the-air iOS updates May 4, 2011: Reports circulate that Apple is negotiating with carriers to bring over-the-air updates to iOS, beginning with iOS 5.

Such a move would free iPhone owners from using iTunes to get updates for their devices. That means no more plugging an iPhone into a computer via USB to download the latest version of iOS.

Today in Apple history: Mac’s first 100 days prove a roaring success

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Mac 128k Beauty Shot
The original Mac was a smash hit. Sort of.
Photo: iFixit

May 3: Today in Apple history: Mac's first 100 days prove a roaring success May 3, 1984: Apple marks the all-important first 100 days of Mac sales, signaling whether the product launch is a hit with customers.

The results outstrip even Apple co-founder Steve Jobs‘ most optimistic targets. Unfortunately, not everything is as positive as it seems following the successful Mac launch.

Why Apple cannot unlock your deceased relative’s iPhone

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The reason Apple cannot unlock a deceased person’s iPhone
An iPhone locked with a passcode is more secure than any bank vault.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

A very sad day has come, and a beloved relative has passed away. And it seems Apple is making the experience worse because it refuses to unlock the deceased person’s iPhone!

It’s not that Apple refuses to — it literally cannot. And it all comes down to the way encryption works.

Fortunately, there’s a simple way to prevent this problem. It just takes some preparation.

These are my top 8 must-have Vision Pro accessories

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M5 and M2 Vision Pro sitting side by side, one of them turned around, in front of a fake palm tree.
Trick out your Vision Pro with these essentials.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

After shelling out well over $3,499 for a Vision Pro, I hope you have some money left over to buy some of the must-have accessories that make Apple’s headset even better. 

The experience out of the box is great, but to start, you’ll probably want a case to put your Vision Pro in. If you want to use the headset for browsing the web, messaging, writing or any amount of work, you’ll want a keyboard and trackpad. And for games, you’ll need a controller.

If you don’t have pockets (or the pockets you have prove insufficient), you’ll want a battery holster for walking around. And if you’re walking around, you’ll definitely want a protective cover for that expensive curved piece of glass. 

Here are all the accessories I use to make the most of my Vision Pro. 

Manage all your logins the smart way with Apple’s free Passwords app

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Apple Passwords App graphic, with a photo of a woman typing a password into her iPhone
The time has come to stop using the same passwords and use a password manager.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

The Apple Passwords app makes it easier than ever to save login details for your apps, start using passkeys and create shared groups.

The time of using the same password on all your internet accounts is over. Apple’s password manager is free, syncs everywhere (even with Windows PCs) and is incredibly easy to use. It creates strong passwords and automatically fills them in, so you never need to.

Here’s how it works.

Top 10 maximalist Mac setups: The most gear-packed rigs ever

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top 10 maximalist setups Setups Ita205@Reddit
That's a massive amount of screen real estate.
Photo: [email protected]

I’ve always noticed a certain breed of Apple enthusiast for whom less is definitively not more. While minimalist setups have their ascetic charm, the rigs below operate on an entirely different philosophy: more computers, more screens, more audio gear — more of everything. These are the top 10 maximalist setups.

They’re the ones that made commenters ask if the owner works at “the money factory making commerce,” for example, or declare, “OP has done it: they’ve finally hit the limit of too much screen space.”

Apple plans to reinvest tariff refunds in US manufacturing

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Apple plans to reinvest tariff refunds
Apple's plan should continue to bolster U.S. manufacturing.
Photo: Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed during Thursday’s quarterly earnings call that the company intends to apply for refunds on tariffs it paid under trade measures that the Supreme Court recently ruled unconstitutional. And has a clear plan for where that money will go: straight into U.S. manufacturing.

Time is running out on your Intel Mac — here’s why

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macOS 27 is the end of the line for Intel Macs
This 2019 MacBook Pro with an Intel chip will not get macOS 27.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Anyone still using an Intel Mac needs to know that when macOS 27 launches this fall, it won’t be available for computers that don’t use Apple’s own processors.

It’s not like your Intel-based Mac will suddenly explode in your face because it’s running an older version of macOS, but the odds of getting hacked go up considerably. Here’s why.

Today in Apple history: First iPad 3G tablets land in customers’ hands

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iPad
The iPad was the fastest-selling new product line in Apple history.
Photo: iPad

April 30: Today in Apple history: iPad 3G arrives April 30, 2010: Almost a month after the first-gen iPad went on sale, the first Wi-Fi + 3G iPads arrive in the hands of U.S. customers.

The devices ship in boxes identical to the Wi-Fi-only models, but with an additional sticker noting their cellular connectivity capability. The tablets come preloaded with micro-SIM cards branded AT&T, the only wireless carrier that initially supports the iPad.

This smart telescope changed the way I look at the stars [Review] ★★★★

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DwarfLab Dwarf Mini Smart Telescope review★★★★
The DwarfLab Dwarf Mini captures gorgeous pictures of the cosmos, despite its small size.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Dwarf Mini smart telescope from DwarfLab cooperates with your iPhone to help you take amazing pictures of the stars — even in locations where you probably think it’s impossible. And it’s all thanks to the miracle of long-exposure images.

Even better, the telescope is comparatively tiny and sets up in minutes.

As a long-time stargazer, I was thrilled to test out the Dwarf Mini. And even more thrilled with the results.

iOS 27 could add Siri camera mode and expanded visual AI

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iOS 27: Customizable camera app and rebuilt Siri
iOS 27 could support an upgraded Camera app with a Siri camera mode plus an overall overhaul of the voice assistant.
Photo: Chat GPT/Cult of Mac

Apple will put artificial intelligence front and center in the iPhone camera with a dedicated Siri camera mode coming in iOS 27, according to a new report. The move signals the company’s push to make on-device AI feel less like a hidden feature and more like a core part of the iPhone experience.

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs trashes Adobe Flash in devastatingly blunt open letter

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Photo of an iPad displaying Steve Jobs' open letter titled
Steve Jobs really didn't care for Flash.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac
April 29: Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs pens letter to Flash

April 29, 2010: Apple CEO Steve Jobs pens “Thoughts on Flash,” an open letter to explain why, basically, Adobe Flash kind of sucks. The letter marks the beginning of the end for the once-omnipresent plugin that powered multimedia in internet browsers for years.

Following the devastatingly blunt broadside, Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayen hits back at Apple, arguing against Jobs’ complaints. But the Apple leader has clearly made up his mind: iOS devices will never support Flash. The writing is on the wall.

Epic Games deals Apple fresh blow in App Store fee fight

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Epic Games vs Apple: Developer account battle
Epic Games came out ahead in the latest skirmish between the developer and Apple.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple’s bid to freeze court-ordered App Store changes while it pursues U.S. Supreme Court review got rejected Tuesday as the latest decision in the iPhone giant’s long-running legal fight with Fortnite maker Epic Games. So the clock is now ticking on compliance pending another decision over what Apple can charge in fees.

I tried the most powerful Thunderbolt dock ever made [Review] ★★★★★

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Photo of the Ivanky FusionDock Ultra on a desk, used to illustrate a review of the unique Thunderbolt 5 dock.★★★★★
The iVanky FusionDock Ultra currently ranks as the king of Thunderbolt 5 docks.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

With plenty of ports, power and bandwidth, Thunderbolt docks form the backbone of a modern MacBook-powered workstation — and the iVanky FusionDock Ultra takes things to the extreme. It packs an absurd number of ports and promises enough bandwidth to handle just about anything you can throw at it.

Find out what makes the iVanky FusionDock Ultra so special in our review.

How to remove an object from a photo with Apple Intelligence

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Graphic showing the Image Clean Up tool in Photos, captioned, “Remove an Object from a Photo”
You don’t have to be a Photoshop master to edit things out of your photos.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

You can easily remove any object from a photo using Apple Intelligence’s free Clean Up tool on your iPhone, Mac or iPad. It works fairly well — but it’s good to know its limitations.

As the only graphic designer among my friends, I’ve frequently been asked over the years to Photoshop unwanted elements out of pictures. Take, for example, a romantic shot of a couple in a gazebo, with a phone sitting on the handrail in an obvious spot. The image might look a lot better if you delete that stray device.

Or imagine a group photo from a fun night out, with someone’s dumpy tote bag sitting by their feet, or a picture from a big conference that shows an ugly lanyard around someone’s neck. With Apple Intelligence’s free Clean Up feature, anyone can make the tote bag and the lanyard disappear, right from their iPhone.

Now, you have the power to clean up your own photos — a chance to make your almost-perfect shots perfect in an instant. 

Eye doctor uses Vision Pro in cataract surgery for the first time

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Vision Pro in cataract surgery
In another medical first, Vision Pro played a crucial role in successful cataract surgery.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

A New York ophthalmologist made history recently, becoming the first surgeon in the world to perform cataract surgery using Apple’s Vision Pro headset, according to a new report. It offers a compelling new use case for a device that has struggled to find mass-market traction.

“We are now able to bring the world’s best surgeon into any operating room, at any hour, from anywhere on the planet,” Dr. Eric Rosenberg said. “From residents performing their first cases to surgeons facing unexpected complications, this technology democratizes access to expertise — and that will save vision.”

Today in Apple history: iTunes Music Store opens its doors

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Screenshot of the iTunes Music Store
The iTunes Music Store revolutionized the music industry.
Photo: Apple

April 28: Today in Apple history: iTunes Music Store launches April 28, 2003: Apple opens the iTunes Music Store, revolutionizing the music industry and digital distribution of content.

At a time when getting music online mostly means illegal downloads from pirate services like Napster, iTunes quickly proves that customers will pay for songs — provided the service is good enough.

Highly adaptable Edifier M90 speakers earn a spot in any Apple setup [Review] ★★★★

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Edifier M90 speaker review★★★★
Edifier M90 speakers in white replace the inexpensive sound bar I was using to boost my Roku TV's audio. They'd be great with Apple TV, too.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Apple’s ecosystem has never sounded better — AirPods, HomePods, Apple TV with Dolby Atmos — and yet the humble desktop speaker often remains an afterthought. For Mac users who spend long hours at a monitor or in front of a gaming console or smart TV, the audio situation can range from mediocre built-in speakers to a rat’s nest of half-compatible gear. But this Edifier M90 speaker review explains how the stellar new boxes do a great job of solving any number of audio problems in different settings. They bring potent audio power to practically any gear. 

5 best Apple products of the Tim Cook era

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Give Tim Cook credit for his best products
Let's give Apple CEO Tim Cook credit where credit is due.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Tim Cook doesn’t get enough credit for launching groundbreaking products as Apple CEO. He quietly oversaw launches that reshaped how people listen, make purchases and monitor their health. He even revitalized the Mac.

With Cook leaving the CEO spot to become chairman of Apple’s board of directors in September, it’s time for some perspective on his time in office. Here are five examples of Cook embedding Apple deeper into our lives than ever before.

Easy way to record and transcribe your iPhone calls

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Image showing the transcription of call recording on an iPhone, with the caption, “Record a Call on iPhone,” with a photo of someone talking on the phone.
Check back what they really said.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

You can record a phone call on your iPhone for future reference using a built-in tool. This feature is a great way to refer back to a previous conversation. Who said what? What date did they say? What exactly did you agree to?

If your device supports Apple Intelligence, you’ll get transcriptions of the phone calls, too. They’ll go in a Call Recordings folder in the Notes app.

If you used a shady call recording app before, you can bid it adieu. There’s a convenient button built right into the Phone app. Here’s how it all works.

Today in Apple history: Psystar’s clone Macs go rogue

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After a battle with Apple over Mac clones, this T-shirt is all Psystar will be selling.
After losing a battle with Apple over Mac clones, this T-shirt became one of Psystar's last products.
Image: Psystar

April 27: Today in Apple history: Psystar clone Macs go rogue April 27, 2008: Psystar’s first Mac clones ship to customers. The company’s new Open Computer means that, for the first time since the mid-1990s, there’s no need to assemble a “hackintosh” to run OS X on a non-Apple computer.

Unlike previous clone Macs, however, Psystar’s low-priced computers don’t come with Cupertino’s blessing. Naturally, a fight ensues.

Value-packed EarFun Clip 2 open-ear earbuds put awareness first [Review] ★★★★☆

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EarFun Clip 2 earbuds review★★★★☆
EarFun Clip 2 open-ear earbuds clip gently on your ears for secure comfort.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

First announced at CES 2026 in January and released Monday, EarFun Clip 2 open-ear earbuds arrive with an unusually ambitious spec sheet for $79.99 (or less with launch discount). EarFun says Clip 2 is the world’s first Hi-Res comfort ear-clip earbuds with built-in AI translation priced under $80 — a claim that would sound like marketing bluster if the hardware didn’t largely back it up. After spending time with them, here’s my EarFun Clip 2 earbuds review with an honest verdict.

4 daily games I love to play in Apple News+ (and one I despise)

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Graphic showing Apple News+ Puzzles with a photo of a man playing a newspaper crossword, captioned “Daily Word Games”
Get your puzzle fix right from the News app.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

The daily games hiding inside the News app are my favorite puzzles to play. Some are digital versions of classic games like crossword puzzles and sudoku. Others are entirely new.

All five games are available to all Apple News+ and Apple One Premier subscribers. Here’s how to play each of the daily word games in Apple News+ on iPhone. Check them out in this quick video.

4 ways to make your texts less boring with iMessage effects

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Image of an iMessage being sent with fireworks and a photo of a woman smiling at an iPhone, captioned “iMessage Effects”
Spruce up your texting with iMessage effects.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

iMessage effects can add extra meaning, emotion and fun to your texting. In Apple’s Messages app, you can add bolditalicsunderline and strikethrough text, just like in a formatted document. You can even choose from a bunch of cool, animated effects, including full-screen blasts of lasers, confetti and fireworks.

Apple’s text message effects can make quite an impression. You can make congratulations more bombastic (to rejoice in someone’s finest moments). Or, you can use formatting and effects to convey sarcasm, stress and sorrow more clearly.

These text effects are fun and incredibly useful. Keep reading below or watch our video.