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Anurag Chawake - page 2

Nvidia finally gives Apple silicon a real competitor

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A photo of RTX Spark chip used in a story about Nvidia's new Apple silicon competitor.
RTX Spark laptops will arrive this fall, potentially offering all-day battery life on Windows laptops.
Image: Nvidia

Apple has been making some of the best laptop chips for years, but Nvidia’s new ARM-based RTX Spark processor might finally give the MacBook a real fight.

For Mac users, the announcement of an ARM-based rival to Apple silicon could be good news. Not because they will switch to Windows, but because this kind of competition could pressure Apple to step up its game and keep innovating.

iOS 27 might finally bring split-screen multitasking to the iPhone

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A photo of a concept showing split screen multitasking on the iPhone.
With the iPhone Ultra, Apple might finally bring multitasking to the iPhone.
Photo: Techblood.in

Apple is reportedly working on new multitasking features in iOS 27 that would automatically adapt any iPhone app for landscape and split-screen layouts.

With the rumored folding iPhone on the horizon, a lack of multitasking would translate to a waste of screen real estate. But this rumored capability could mean your entire app collection would work instantly, without Apple waiting for developers to redesign their apps.

A free tier for Apple Music might be closer than you think

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A photo of the Apple Music app on an iPhone screen, used in a story about Apple Music rumored to get a free tier.
A free Apple Music plan could help the service significantly increase its user base.
Photo: Brett Jordan/Pexels

Just a month after Apple Music’s chief called a free tier a “terrible idea,” code found in a beta version of the streaming service’s Android app suggests Apple might be prepping to do just that.

For years, Apple has avoided offering a free or low-cost subscription tier. But as it races to catch up with Spotify, Apple could be reconsidering its stand.

Samsung’s new monitors offer features Apple still doesn’t

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A photo of the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 used in a story about the same.
Samsung's new OLED monitors are cheaper than Apple's, and have higher refresh rates.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung just launched three new monitors that finally give Mac users a big reason to upgrade, addressing many of the gaps that Apple’s own monitors have left open for quite some time.

The new Samsung monitor lineup includes a 40-inch curved ultrawide and 4K OLED models in two sizes (27-inch and 32-inch). They also come with Thunderbolt 5 ports, built-in KVM switching and faster refresh rates than Apple’s displays.

Is Apple’s nano-texture glass worth it on the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro?

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A picture of an iPad Pro with a person using an Apple Pencil, used in a story about Apple's nano-texture glass.
Apple’s nano-texture glass cuts glare, but comes with some downsides.
Photo: Apple

Apple charges $100 to add nano-texture glass to the iPad Pro, and even more if you want to add the anti-glare tech to a MacBook Pro. The technology is undoubtedly impressive, but the real question is whether your work requires it.

Here’s what you need to know before spending your money on Apple’s matte display tech.

WhatsApp will soon make it easy for iPhone users to share documents with Meta AI

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A picture of WhatsApp used in a story about Meta AI now supporting document uploads in WhatsApp.
iPhone users will soon be able to summarize documents using Meta AI in WhatsApp.
Photo: WhatsApp/Cult Of Mac

WhatsApp wants to make Meta AI a lot more useful on the iPhone. To that end, Meta is working on a new feature that allows users to upload documents and get AI-powered summaries and answers right in WhatsApp.

For iPhone users, this sounds like a meaningful upgrade. Instead of switching between apps to analyze PDFs, notes, presentations or spreadsheets, users will be able to hand files directly to Meta AI without relying on another chatbot.

Apple’s handy guide explains how to ID Creator Studio apps

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An image of Apple Creator Studio app icons
Apple wants users to know how to distinguish Creator Studio apps on the Mac.
Image: Apple

An Apple support document published Tuesday helps Mac users figure out which versions of its Creator Studio apps are running on their computers. It’s something no one expected in 2026, but here we are.

Currently, Apple ships two separate versions of Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, MainStage, Motion, Compressor and Pixelmator Pro. If you happen to be a Mac owner subscribed to Apple’s Creator Studio who also uses the standalone versions of the apps in the bundle, the support document is for you.

Apple could finally let your iPhone play nice with Google Cast

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An AI-generated drawing of an iPhone using Google Cast to play content on a smart TV.
With iOS 27, casting from your iPhone to standard smart TVs could become as easy as using AirPlay.
AI image: Google Gemini/Cult of Mac

The iPhone could get a lot better at casting videos to the big screen, as Apple is reportedly working on native support for Google Cast in iOS 27. That means you could soon beam video, photos and audio to almost all smart TVs on the planet.

Apple’s AirPlay is great if you are into the Apple ecosystem, but Google Cast is almost everywhere. It’s built into nearly all smart TVs sold today, including the hotel TVs you may have struggled with during vacations. Right now, your iPhone can’t natively talk to these devices, but iOS 27 could change that.

FCC filing reveals new Apple over-ear headphones coming soon

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A picture of Beats Studio Pro used in a story about Apple working on a new pair of headphones.
Apple's filing offers little detail, but hints at a new pair of Beats headphones.
Photo: Apple

Apple appears to be working on a new pair of over-ear headphones, possibly Beats Studio Pro 2. A recently discovered filing in a Federal Communications Commission database describes an unreleased device as “Bluetooth over-ear headphones” with an antenna, battery and microphone.

The best guess right now is a long-overdue refresh of the Beats Studio Pro, which Apple released in 2023. Apple just released the AirPods Max 2, so it is unlikely the company will announce a new set of over-ear Apple headphones.

iOS 27 might finally fix the messy AirPods settings screen

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A photo of Apple AirPods used in a story about AirPods settings page revamp.
The AirPods' settings page just keeps getting more crowded as Apple adds new features.
Photo: Apple

Apple is reportedly preparing to overhaul one of the iPhone’s most cluttered menus: the AirPods settings screen.

Over the years, the AirPods settings screen has grown more cluttered with every new feature Apple introduces to the popular earbuds. That could change with iOS 27, which could come with a completely revamped layout for the AirPods settings.

OpenAI gives Codex for Mac eyes, a remote control and long-term goals

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A picture of OpenAI Codex used in a story about a recent feature update for Mac.
Codex for Mac can now remotely handle tasks even while your MacBook stays closed.
Photo: OpenAI

OpenAI just gave its Codex for Mac programming app a feature called Appshots that makes copy-pasting code or describing what’s on the screen unnecessary. Just press Command twice, and the AI assistant automatically takes a screenshot and captures text from your window, including scrollable content that isn’t visible.

Appshots is the headline addition in this week’s Codex update, and it’s only available on Macs for now. Think of it as giving your AI assistant a pair of eyes, instead of always explaining what you are looking at.

5 things Apple needs to fix before launching the HomePod 3

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An AI generated photo of an Apple HomePod with display used in a story about the much-rumored HomePod 3.
The HomePod 3 needs smarter software and not just faster hardware.
AI image: Google Gemini

Apple’s next HomePod is reportedly stuck in limbo while the company works on its delayed AI Siri upgrade. And honestly? That might be what the HomePod 3 needs. But before Apple unveils the HomePod 3, it needs to address some serious gaps that make it feel far less intelligent than the competition.

The HomePod’s problem has never been its hardware. The speakers sound fantastic, and the device tightly integrates into Apple’s ecosystem. But the user experience still feels a generation behind competing smart speakers. If Apple wants the HomePod 3 to be the center of its smart home ambitions, a faster chip and a shinier enclosure won’t be enough. Here’s what actually needs to change.

Apple’s next iPhone redesign could be all about the curved display

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A photo of a smartphone used in a story about the iPhone 19 Pro's much rumored curved OLED screen.
Apple may finally be preparing to move beyond the Dynamic Island era.
Photo: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Apple is reportedly testing a prototype quad-curved OLED screen for the iPhone 19 Pro as part of its push toward an all-screen iPhone. If the leaks prove accurate, it could mark Apple’s biggest redesign since the iPhone X.

The rumored 2027 flagship phone is said to come with under-display Face ID and be curved on all four sides. It could give buyers a compelling reason to skip the iPhone 18 Pro.

Apple won’t let you downgrade from iOS 26.5 anymore — here’s why

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A photo of an iPhone used in a story about the iOS 26.5 update.
Apple officially closed the downgrade window for iOS 26.4.2.
Image: Cult of Mac

Apple stopped signing iOS 26.4.2, meaning iPhone users who updated to iOS 26.5 can no longer roll back to the previous version.

Whenever Apple rolls out an iOS update, it allows users to go back to the previous version if they run into bugs or other issues. But once the company considers the new release stable, it stops signing the older build.

Apple’s titanium iPhone experiment might not be over just yet

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A photo of the iPhone used in a story about future iPhone Pro models getting titanium chassis.
Apple’s next-generation titanium alloy could improve both durability and cooling.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple might be having second thoughts about aluminum on the iPhone. A few months after switching the iPhone 17 Pro away from titanium, the company is now reportedly experimenting with an improved titanium alloy that could fix a huge problem with the metal.

If Apple finds a way to make it practical, we could see titanium return to a future iPhone Pro. But the problem is that titanium isn’t as good as aluminum at transferring heat. Aluminum’s better thermal properties are likely why Apple moved away from titanium in the first place. Also, aluminum is cheaper and easier to recycle.

Apple lets Fortnite back on the App Store, but the fight isn’t over yet

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A photo of a smartphone showing Fortnite on the Epic Games Store.
Fortnite is back on iPhone after years away following Epic Games’ legal clash with Apple.
Photo: Epic Games

Fortnite returned to the App Store in almost all regions, ending its years-long absence that began when Epic Games sued Apple over in-app purchases.

The battle royale’s comeback is real, but Epic Games’ claim that it has already won isn’t completely true. Epic Games brought back Fortnite to the App Store on Tuesday, following the game’s U.S. return last year. But there’s an exception — Australia — and the legal fight that made this possible is nowhere near finished.

Apple Watch Ultra 4 might add better hypertension alerts

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A photo of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 used in a story about blood presure notification feature coming to a future version of the watch.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 may take cardiovascular tracking a step further.
Photo: Apple

Apple is reportedly developing an advanced high blood pressure notification feature for the Apple Watch. And the Apple Watch Ultra 4 might be the first to get the improved hypertension monitoring feature.

If true, it could turn the upcoming smartwatch into a serious cardiovascular health tool. Combined with a much-rumored hardware refresh, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 may be hard to resist for both new and existing users.

WhatsApp tests a smarter way to make iPhone messages disappear

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A photograph of WhatsApp on a smartphone used in a story about a new disappearing messages option.
The latest WhatsApp beta adds more control to disappearing messages on iPhone.
Photo: antonbe/Pixabay

WhatsApp is testing a new feature on iPhone where messages automatically disappear once you read them. The privacy-focused feature, called “After reading,” also gives users fine-tuned control over how long their texts remain visible after someone opens them.

The new feature builds upon WhatsApp’s existing disappearing messages functionality. Currently, users can choose to automatically delete sent messages after one day, seven days or 90 days.

How Apple uses faulty silicon to power fab new devices

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An Apple logo used in a story about Apple's chip binning strategy.
Instead of discarding faulty silicon, Apple repurposes it through chip binning.
Photo: Pexels/Pixabay

When Apple unveiled the MacBook Neo, the company’s most affordable laptop ever, the most obvious question was: How did Apple manufacture a sub-$600 with solid specs and a premium build?

The answer lies in how Apple turned defective iPhone and Mac chips into a business. Surprisingly, these faulty chips have powered some of the best Apple products over the years. The technology that enables this manufacturing miracle is called chip binning, and it allows Apple to turn defective processors into a virtual goldmine.

Apple might make Genmoji impossible to ignore in iOS 27

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A photo of Apple's Genmoji used to illustrate a story about upgrades reportedly coming to the Apple Intelligence feature.
Apple might soon bring AI-generated emoji suggestions directly to your iPhone's keyboard.
Photo: Apple

Apple might be planning to make Genmoji much more useful in iOS 27. The feature, which currently lets users create custom emoji, could soon suggest AI-generated emoji based on your personal photo library and the phrases you type most often.

That would solve one of the biggest problems with Genmoji: Most iPhone users forget it exists. Despite being genuinely fun and useful, Genmoji remains one of the most overlooked Apple Intelligence features.

But Apple might change that with iOS 27.

The iPhone and Mac security Apple spent 5 years building? AI broke it in 5 days.

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Photo of a MacBook running code
AI helped discover a vulnerability in Apple's state-of-the-art hardware security.
Photo: draconianimages/Pixabay

Anthropic’s Mythos AI helped indie hackers bypass Apple’s Memory Integrity Enforcement, a hardware security system used in the M5 processors that power the latest MacBook Pros.

Apple spent five years developing MIE, but the hacking team at Calif, a small security startup based in Palo Alto, California, said it used Mythos Preview to find bugs in the M5 chip — and built a working exploit in just five days.

Spotify’s latest podcast move has a surprising Apple connection

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A photo of the Spotify app playing music on an iPhone.
A rare Apple-Spotify crossover.
Photo: Mildly Useful/Unsplash License

Spotify is making a big move toward video podcast interoperability, and Apple fans stand to benefit from it. The streaming service said Thursday that it will adopt Apple’s HTTP Live Streaming, or HLS, technology.

Apple rolled out HLS earlier this year to modernize video playback on Apple Podcasts, promising a seamless experience for both viewers and podcast creators. Spotify’s adoption of HLS later this year sounds like a win-win for video podcasts.

iPhone could be swarming with AI agents soon

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A photo illustrating AI apps on the iPhone in a story about Apple possibly opening up the App Store for AI agents.
Apple is reportedly working on ways to safely bring autonomous AI agents to the App Store.
Photo: Aerps.com/Unsplash License

Apple might open the App Store to agentic AI, which could change how iPhone users interact with their smartphones every day. If the plan works, the App Store could expand from a straightforward marketplace for apps and instead become an intermediary for autonomous software.

That could be a much bigger deal than it sounds. These AI agents might be capable of performing complex things on your behalf, such as booking flights, managing your calendar, and even coordinating the whole day without you ever needing to tap a single button.

Apple finally found a fix for the M4 Mac mini’s infamous power button

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A picture of a M4 Mac mini used in a story about its power button.
Users may never need to lift the M4 Mac mini to press its power button again.
Photo: Apple

Apple finally found a software fix for one of the most mocked Mac design decisions in years. In macOS 26.5 Tahoe, released Monday, Apple added a new option that allows M4 Mac mini owners to turn on their machines without picking them up.

Color.io acquisition offers more proof Apple is focusing on creatives again

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Photo of red scene with two people in it, being editing in Final Cut Pro on Mac and iPad, used to illustrate story about Apple acquisition of Color.io
Final Cut Pro could gain some stellar new features thanks to a recent Apple acquisition.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s recently disclosed acquisition of Color.io suggests a renewed focus on rebuilding Cupertino’s creative software suite.

Through a subsidiary, Apple acquired Patchflyer GmbH in January and hired the company’s sole employee, according to an EU filing. Patchflyer developed Color.io, a web-based cinematic color grading platform used by filmmakers and video professionals. And the purchase looks like part of a long-term strategy to win over creatives.