Cult of Mac

April 5, 2006: Apple introduces the public beta of Boot Camp, software that allows users with an Intel-based Mac to run Windows XP on their machines.

Boot Camp will officially arrive in Mac OS X Leopard, which debuts at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference a few months later.

A day after a pair of unknown iPads were found listed on the Bureau of Indian Standards certification website, two more have now turned up. These are almost certainly tablets that have been the topic of many leaks in recent months.

The 2024 iPad Pro and iPad Air might have just taken another small step toward release.

Sometimes you need to call co-workers, businesses, Craigslist sellers — all sorts of people you might not want having access to your personal phone number and the ability to reach you at all hours of the day. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a little privacy, and with a Hushed private phone line, you can get that privacy without getting a whole new iPhone.

For a limited time, this app — which functionally gives you a second phone number — is on sale for $19.99 with code SECURE20 (regularly $150).

There are lots of questions about how to take solar eclipse photos with your iPhone. Firstly, can a solar eclipse harm your iPhone’s camera or lenses? Won’t the sun’s rays damage the camera?

Not according to Apple. Cupertino says it’s safe to photograph a total solar eclipse with your iPhone; but be sure to protect your eyes.

However, photographing the solar eclipse is hard without the right tools. To get a good picture of the solar eclipse with your iPhone, you’re going to need a 12-18x telephoto lens attachment, a solar filter and a tripod. Make sure you have everything you need before the big event on Monday.

Here’s how you can get prepared. Watch our new video or keep reading below.

Following the shutdown of the Apple Car project, the Cupertino giant is laying off more than 600 employees. Many other affected employees worked on developing micro LED displays for the Apple Watch and future products.

The laid-off employees worked in and around Santa Clara, near Apple’s California headquarters.

You can’t see everything. If you’re out of the house, you might miss a package delivery. On the road, you might not see the person who cut you off in traffic. You might not even notice an animal right in front of you during a hike. But you can capture practically anything on video with Tokk Cam C2+ — a combination bodycam, dashcam and security camera.

You can mount this 1.5-inch Wi-Fi camera discreetly on your clothes, your dashboard or at home. And for a limited time, you can get one for just $48.79 with code SECURE20.

Sure, it’s nice to get the latest MacBook model when you can, but not everyone needs a mega-powerful M3 chip. And that’s especially true when you can save hundreds on laptops with a merely super-powerful M2 chip. Best Buy is offering M2 MacBook Air models for up to $400 off as well as other deals.

But if you want to spend even less — or if you really want an M3 MacBook — we’ve included a selection of deals below. There are sweet deals on refurbished M1 and M2 MacBook Air models as well as $200 off a selection of M3 MacBook Pro models.

April 4, 1975: Microsoft is founded by childhood friends Bill Gates and Paul Allen. The software company destined to become a tech behemoth — and a major Apple frenemy.

A few years later, Microsoft will break through to the mainstream with Excel and Word, becoming a key developer of Macintosh software. Then comes the Windows operating system, looking suspiciously Apple-like. After Windows arrives, Microsoft and Apple will embark upon a long-running feud.

Looking for a better office chair? You don’t have to spend several hundred dollars or more. I’ve found the Silybon Ergonomic Office Chair does a good job for about $110 after a discount.

With a history of back trouble, I was a little nervous about the purchase. But it’s a good, comfortable chair paired with a standing desk, so my back is fine.

Images of iPhone 16 “dummy” units have been published by a tipster with an established record. They show the redesigned camera hump reportedly coming to the two non-Pro models and other changes.

The pictures are the best look yet at the handsets Apple is expected to launch in autumn 2024.

If you want a successful career in IT, you need the proper certifications. This limited-time deal on CompTIA study guides will help you rack up those crucial IT certifications and broaden your horizons. Through April 7, you can get a lifetime subscription to The CompTIA and IT Exam Study Guides Training for an extra 20% off with code SECURE20.

That drops the price to just $23.99 (regularly $259). You’ll gain a lifetime of lessons on CompTIA and IT topics including Amazon Web Services, Salesforce, Microsoft Azure and much more.

Apple CarPlay is a popular perk of many newer cars, but you no longer need a luxury model to enjoy a modern driving experience. For a limited time, it’s cheaper than you’d imagine to add a CarPlay display to any vehicle. This affordable car touchscreen works with Android Auto, too.

How budget-friendly is it? You can currently purchase this 10-inch wireless touchscreen car display that works with both major infotainment platforms for only $99.97 (regularly $199). That’s 50% off a car accessory that supplies access to various helpful and safety-focused features.

Teams in Cupertino are working on Apple personal home robotic devices, including a mobile robot and a table-top device with a moving display, according to a new report.

These early efforts toward Apple robots could constitute future revenue sources now that the Project Titan car sits on the scrap heap.

The SwitchEasy Orbit Universal Magnetic Stand is an incredibly handy little stand that’s sturdy and easy to use. It’s seamlessly blended into my daily iPhone habits — and unlike most products I review, everyone I show it to instantly wants one. 

The handy stand props up your iPhone on a table, desk or kitchen counter. Its puck shape allows you to orient your phone vertically or horizontally. It collapses and folds flat, so you can carry it around. 

You can also stick on double-sided tape and attach it to the back of your monitor as a camera mount for your iPhone.

I’ve been using it for a few months now at my desk and around the house. Here’s why I recommend it.

The citizens of a small town called Deerfield continue to see their lives upended by a fortune-telling machine known as Morpho, according to the season 2 trailer Apple TV+ dropped Wednesday for philosophical comedy series The Big Door Prize.

Starring Emmy Award winner Chris O’Dowd, the well-liked comedy’s 10-episode second season debuts Wednesday, April 24, with three episodes.

You can share passwords on iPhone automatically with your entire family, so you don’t have to reuse the same password everywhere or let everyone in your family know when a shared password is changed.

Setting up this feature is easy and saves the hassle of being texted “hey I can’t get into Amazon, what’s that password again?” and “I need you to send me the code.” When you set up shared passwords, two-factor authentication and passkeys are shared, too.

It’s a huge time-saver, and highly recommended.

Here’s how to set it up.

Following a lull of a few weeks, Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 17.5 to developers Tuesday. While iOS 17.4 was a big release, iOS 17.5 beta 1 packs relatively minor (albeit important) changes.

Below are all the changes we have spotted in the first iOS 17.5 beta.

Amazon bargain site Woot! keeps the Apple savings coming. On Wednesday it surfaced an Apple Watches and More! sale with a handful of great deals on different models of the wearable, plus an accessories bundle. And the sale page doesn’t even include all the discounted Apple Watches on the site. We added a few below.

“Look like a Silicon Valley tech mogul,” Woot wrote. “And if smart watches aren’t your thing, we’ve also got a wide array of ‘More!'”

April 3, 2010: The first iPad hits store shelves after months of anticipation. The tablet Apple CEO Steve Jobs called “magical and revolutionary” at its unveiling earlier in the year quickly becomes a major success.

Jobs initially showed off Apple’s first tablet on January 27, 2010. And there had been rumors long before then. But the wait for the iPad is finally over … at least for people in the United States. (The iPad’s international debut won’t happen until May.)

A systems engineer who works for a software developer showed off today’s M1 Pro MacBook Pro setup, which features unusual audio. Razer Nommo Chroma gaming speakers rarely come up in setups despite their high coolness factor. They look a bit like highway patrol speed guns. And the noise-canceling wireless earbuds are a favorite — Soundcore Space A40. 

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake that hit Taiwan on Wednesday — the worst in 25 years — killed at least nine people, injured more than 900 and toppled buildings. It also reportedly forced Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to stop chip production, at least temporarily.

TSMC makes the processors that go into iPhone, Mac and other Apple products.

Recent clues in iOS beta software plus a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing by Apple suggest new Beats Solo 4 headphones may ship as soon as early May, according to reports.

Given that Beats Solo 3 launched in 2016, well, it’s about time. Eight years usually represents several generations in tech products, not just one.

Apple Card Savings accounts just got their first interest rate decrease. Money stored in on these accounts now earns 4.4% in annual interest.

Previously, Apple and Goldman Sachs had boosted in the rate multiple times since the beginning of December. And it’s still quite high, even after the drop.

For a reliable pair of noise-canceling earbuds, you don’t have to turn to Apple. There are other brands that are trusted in the audio world — for instance, JBL. Ideal for anyone looking for high-quality noise cancellation, these wireless JBL Tune Flex Ghost Edition earbuds are currently discounted to only $59.99 (regularly $99.95).

They’re affordable thanks to their open box status, which simply means that these were likely excess inventory that may have come into contact with customers but have not been purchased or used. They’re certified to have been inspected and confirmed as in like-new condition. (They’ve also been placed in clean packaging.)

iPads are great for many things, but there’s one obvious drawback to using a tablet — the lack of a keyboard for typing out notes and performing similar tasks. Fortunately, if you need an iPad 10 accessory to maximize productivity, we’ve get one in this Apple Magic Keyboard Folio sale.

Apple’s outstanding iPad keyboard is perfect as a treat for yourself, but it’s not cheap. It retails for $249. But Cult of Mac Deals customers don’t need to pay full price to get the ultimate iPad 10 accessory. This open-box Magic Keyboard Folio for the 10th-gen iPad is on sale for only $99.99 with free shipping.