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Apple reveals ‘All systems glow’ tagline, wallpaper and playlist for WWDC26

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WWDC26: All systems glow
Apple wants to get us all ready for its big developer conference, iOS 27 and more.
Photo: Apple

Apple WWDC26:With one week to go until its annual developer showcase, Apple leaned into a luminous theme with the new WWDC26 tagline “All systems glow.”

You can get your devices ready for the WWDC26 keynote, which kicks off the weeklong event on June 8, with new wallpaper and an Apple Music playlist.

Sennheiser Momentum 5 headphones offer something AirPods Max don’t

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Sennheiser Momentum 5
Being able to easily swap out the battery could adds years of life to these premium cans.
Photo: Sennheiser

New Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless over-ear headphones bring Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio, upgraded noise cancellation and one killer feature major players like Apple and Bose will have to consider adding — a user-replaceable battery, which can greatly extend the life of the product.

The new Sennheiser cans arrive June 16 for $399.99.

Tiny, low-cost portable speaker finds a place in any audio arsenal [Review] ★★★★☆

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Tozo PE1 Portable Wireless Sports Speaker review★★★★☆
Tozo's PE1 just might be the tiny addition your audio arsenal needs. At its low price, why not?
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Apple users live in one of the most polished hardware ecosystems on Earth. Every accessory entering that orbit gets held to a higher standard — not just for specs, but for how effortlessly it fits in. My Tozo PE1 Portable Wireless Speaker review concludes that the tiny gadget finds a place quite easily, with great sound, fantastic portability and solid durability. Plus it’s incredibly inexpensive. 

Best Mac gaming setups: From casual console companions to full-on battle stations

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Multisystem gaming setup
This Mac Studio and Studio Display setup is a gamer's paradise, with six gaming systems.
Photo: [email protected]

Mac gaming has a complicated history — years of sparse game libraries and hardware that PC gamers dismissed out of hand. But something shifted with Apple silicon, and the Cult of Mac Setups archive has tracked it in real time. Here are the best Mac gaming setups from the past several years.

Detailed iOS 27 renders show Siri’s big makeover

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Apple Siri logo under construction
Apple is hard at work creating the new Siri.
AI image: Apple/ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Apple WWDC26:As Apple prepares what could be its most consequential software release in years with iOS 27 at WWDC26, we get our first real glimpse at what an overhauled Siri and other Apple Intelligence features may look like, courtesy of Bloomberg. It mocked up a bunch of illustrations in a new report Thursday.

How iPad and Mac help revitalize Cherokee language and culture

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iPad and Mac revitalize Cherokee language
Students use iPad to study the Cherokee language. They write out words and phrases in Notes and record themselves speaking them aloud to practice good pronunciation.
Photo: Apple

In the hallways of the Cherokee Immersion School in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, a quiet revolution is underway. Students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade are learning to speak a language that fewer than 1,500 people in the world still speak fluently — and Apple technology is helping make it happen as iPad and Mac revitalize Cherokee language, the iPhone giant reported in a new feature story Thursday.

“The technology that we utilize with Apple has allowed us to take everything that we really are trying to achieve here, which is the perpetuation and the revitalization of Cherokee language and culture, and use that same technology to make it relevant to the young people that are learning here,” said Chuck Hoskin Jr., Cherokee Nation’s principal chief.

3 reasons to watch Widow’s Bay on Apple TV

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3 reasons to watch Widow's Bay on Apple TV
Every New England fisherman dreads the Sea Hag's embrace. And so will you.
Photo: Apple

There’s a moment in the second episode of Widow’s Bay on Apple TV when Mayor Tom Loftis, played by Emmy winner Matthew Rhys, sits in the lobby of a deeply haunted New England island inn and shares drinks and a board game with a stranger. They chat about his upbringing, his dreams for the town, his failures as a father. It sounds cozy. But it isn’t.

Something is very, very wrong with his companion — and with the room itself — and the horror creeps in so gradually and so quietly that by the time it fully lands, you realize you’ve been holding your breath. That scene, in miniature, is what Widow’s Bay is: a show that disarms you with warmth and wit before the floor drops out.

As a born-and-bred New Englander who inexplicably returned to this accursed place after 30 years away, I found the show got me pretty good. 

Apple brings back After the Whistle podcast for World Cup

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After the Whistle podcast returns for World Cup
Brendan Hunt and Rebecca Lowe ride the World Cup roller coaster together.
Photo: Apple

Popular podcast After the Whistle with Brendan Hunt and Rebecca Lowe will return for a third season on June 7, Apple said Wednesday. The show, which stars Ted Lasso alum Hunt and Premier League soccer commentator Lowe, will arrive in time to cover the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“We are thrilled to bring After the Whistle back for a third season,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services and health, in a press release. “Brendan and Rebecca have an incredible ability to capture the energy and passion of the World Cup. Their unique dynamic and deep love for soccer make this show an absolute can’t-miss for fans everywhere.”

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max: Great earbuds, extraordinary case [Review] ★★★★★

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Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max earbuds review★★★★★
You can tweak lots of settings on the big AMOLED screen, and also access AI Note Taker.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

There’s a well-worn law of consumer electronics: the further you push into “Pro Max” territory, the more you’re paying for marginal improvements that most people don’t need. This Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max earbuds review finds the new buds challenge that rule in an interesting way.

The earbuds inside the case are identical to those in the $169.99 Liberty 5 Pro I reviewed yesterday — same drivers, same ANC, same battery life, same call quality. What you’re paying an extra $60 for, almost entirely, is the case. But it’s a truly remarkable case.

Memes race to poke fun at Jony Ive’s new Ferrari Luce design

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Jony Ive's Ferrari Luce design unveiled
At least the color and prancing horse badge are familiar in this shot from Ferrari.
Photo: Ferrari

Ferrari officially pulled the wraps off the Luce, its first-ever all-electric vehicle, on Monday — and for Apple fans, this one’s personal. The car’s exterior and interior took design cues from LoveFrom, the creative collective founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive and longtime collaborator Marc Newson.

The Ferrari Luce is the highest-profile project the duo has taken on since leaving Cupertino, and it’s already dividing opinions. Plus, it’s the closest we’ll ever get to an Apple car.

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earbuds offer brilliant call clarity [Review] ★★★★

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Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earbuds in case★★★★
Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro use AI for clear calls and come with a touchscreen charging case.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Anker’s Soundcore sub-brand spent years punching above its weight in the budget and midrange earbuds market, and Liberty 5 Pro is an ambitious new swing. Released alongside the pricier Liberty 5 Pro Max (reviewed separately tomorrow), these $169.99 earbuds aim squarely at anyone who wants AirPods Pro-level features without paying AirPods Pro prices.

This Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earbuds review finds them excellent overall. They particularly excel at call clarity.

Best ultrawide monitor Mac setups: One screen to rule them all

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Best ultrawide monitor Mac setups
Many users make the switch from two or even three monitors to an ultrawide.
Photo: [email protected]

There’s a moment, familiar to anyone who has experienced it, when you move from a dual-monitor setup to a single ultrawide and realize the bezels were never doing you any favors. One seamless, curving (or not) expanse of glass — from 34 inches to 49 inches and beyond — that wraps gently around the periphery of your vision, eliminating the dead stripe down the middle of your workspace where two screens met. We found the best ultrawide Mac setups from years of Cult of Mac coverage.

Soundcore’s top new earbuds offer crystal-clear AI-powered calls

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Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro and Pro Max earbuds
This image shows Liberty 5 Pro Max in case in the gold color.
Photo: Soundcore

Two new sets of Soundcore flagship earbuds — Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max — introduce the company’s first product line built around a co-developed Thus AI chip, the Anker subsidiary said Thursday. Both models are available now, starting at $169.99 and $229.99 respectively. They’re compatible with Apple’s Find My network.

Apple TV streams first major live pro sports event shot only on iPhone

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MLS match captured entirely on iPhone 17 Pro
When you watch the match, remember that everything you see came through iPhone 17 Pro (actually many of them).
Photo: Apple

This Saturday, Apple TV will make broadcast history when it streams a live Major League Soccer match captured entirely on iPhone 17 Pro. It marks the first use of just a smartphone to shoot a whole major professional live sporting event, the iPhone giant said Thursday.

Grab a new M5 MacBook Air at lowest prices ever [Price cut!]

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Two people laying on a bed with a MacBook Air, looking at a promotional image for Shrinking on Apple TV
Get Apple's latest lightweight laptop at major savings.
Photo: Apple

The M5 MacBook Air is the best mobile computer for most people, and a sweet deal drops the 15-inch model to a record-low price. The sale slashes up to $199 off the base model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSDs … if you pick the right color. 

That means you can snag the 15-incher for only $1,099.99 in the starlight color option. Other colors cost $1,149, or $150 off.  And you can get the 13-inch M5 MacBook Air for just $899 if you choose the sky blue option. That’s a fat $200 off.

How Apple blocked $2.2 billion in App Store fraud in 2025

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App Store blocked $2.2 billion in fraudulent transactions
Apple showcased its 2025 efforts to keep the App Store safe for users and developers alike.
Image: Apple

Apple stopped more than $2.2 billion in potentially fraudulent App Store transactions last year and rejected over 2 million problematic app submissions, the company reported Wednesday. It’s all part of what it said is a sustained, multilayered effort to keep the App Store safe for both users and developers.

What to expect from iOS 27 at WWDC26

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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 WWDC26:Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off June 8, and all eyes are on iOS 27 — the software update that could define the iPhone experience for the next several years.

Given a steady drumbeat of reliable rumors, a surprisingly complete picture of the update has already emerged. Here’s what to expect in iOS 27 regarding the big Siri revamp and more. We’ll see if the keynote confirms it all.

Power up Apple gear with new pocket-size Ugreen chargers

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Ugreen Nexode and MagFlow Air chargers
Ugreen's Nexode Air 65W mini chargers come in some fun colors.
Photo: Ugreen

A new lineup of ultra-compact charging accessories under Ugreen’s Nexode and MagFlow Air Edition banners comes tailor-made for iPhone, iPad, MacBook Air and AirPods users who want serious power in a minimal footprint, the company said Wednesday.

Apple Intelligence supercharges suite of new accessibility features

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VoiceOver with Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence makes VoiceOver more powerful than ever in helping users who are blind or have low vision explore their surroundings and onscreen images.
Photo: Apple

Apple previewed a sweeping set of accessibility upgrades Tuesday that weave Apple Intelligence into some of its most relied-upon features — VoiceOver, Magnifier, Voice Control and Accessibility Reader. We can expect to see all changes arrive later this year.

The company also announced auto-generated subtitles for uncaptioned video, a new eye-tracking wheelchair control feature for Vision Pro and the launch of an adaptive MagSafe accessory called Hikawa Grip & Stand for iPhone.

“Apple’s approach to accessibility is unlike any other,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. “Now, with Apple Intelligence, we are bringing powerful new capabilities into our accessibility features while maintaining our foundational commitment to privacy by design.”

Best ergonomic Mac setups: Comfort-first workstations done right

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best ergonomic Mac setups
If you're going to sit there for 10 hours a day, you better make some changes, for health's sake.
Photo: [email protected]

Sitting at a computer for eight or 10 hours a day will eventually catch up with you. Stiff necks, sore wrists, aching backs, eye strain — the toll of a poorly designed workstation is real. And the Cult of Mac Setups archive is peppered with users who know it firsthand. But it also shows an increasingly thoughtful community that  does something about it. Here are 10 of the best ergonomic Mac setups from the past several years.

iPhone bucks trend as US smartphone market stumbles

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iPhone 17 Pro on desk
The iPhone 17 series has been a huge hit. But that's not the only factor.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

New data shows how Apple’s iPhone bucks a US smartphone sales slump. Apple grew U.S. iPhone sales by 1.3% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026, even as the broader American smartphone market contracted sharply, according to a new report.

For iPhone owners and fans of the Apple ecosystem, the numbers paint a picture of a brand that continues to tighten its grip on the U.S. market despite a challenging environment for the industry as a whole.