Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
If someone in 1985 imaginged a Mac made in 2022, it might look like SystemSix. Photo: John Calhoun
Imagine a 1980s-era Macintosh merged with today’s iMac. The result probably looks a lot like SystemSix. The creator calls it “a kind of love-letter to my first Macintosh.”
This hand-made device was assembled from an eInk display, an acrylic stand, a Raspberry Pi 3 and code written in Python.
Would you want to a Mac monthly subscription? What if it offered a new Mac every year? Photo: Apple
Apple might soon give customers the option to get a Mac or other device with monthly fees, rather than paying the full cost up front. The company is working on a hardware subscription service, according to a reliable source.
Software subscriptions are common, but hardware is a different business. Even so, Apple has already dipped its toe into this market.
Roar premieres April 15,, exclusively on Apple TV+. Image: Apple TV+
The trailer for Roar shows the anthology series lives up to its billing as “darkly comic feminist fables.” It will premier on Apple TV+ in mid-April, but the trailer gives an an early look at the array of episodes.
And it’s not the only dark comedy headed for the streaming service. Apple on Thursday also announced Bad Sisters, which will debut later in 2022.
Look closely and you’ll see something odd in an image Apple used to publicize the iPhone’s new digital driver’s licenses. In the upper corner of the Wallet app, where there should be a back arrow, instead there’s what looks like a fancy version of a “hamburger” menu button.
It’s possible the image was taken off a device running a prerelease version of iOS 16, and includes a change coming in the next iPhone operating system.
Or it might be only a glitch, and we’re trying too hard to see what Apple has planned.
The MacBook Air line could expand with a model that sports a 15-inch display. Image: Cult of Mac
A 15-inch MacBook Air is on Apple’s agenda for 2023, according to a reliable source. And the current 13-inch version could be replaced by a one with somewhat larger screen.
In addition, the same source says the display in the budget iPad is in for a size increase, too.
Making a Gif with Twitter’s iPhone app is a snap. Photo: Cult of Mac
Twitter made creating a GIF as easy as posting an image. Using the iPhone camera, users can capture a short video in the social-networking service’s app that is automatically converted into a GIF.
Here’s how to make your own GIFs with the Twitter app. It’s easy and fun.
It’s a whole new world… of violence. Photo: Disney
Disney is taking many of its classic characters in a darker direction with Disney Mirrorverse, an RPG for mobile devices. Alternate-reality versions of these screen icons will have to team up face a “dark, unrelenting threat.”
Disney revealed Monday that the game will launch June 23. There’s also a trailer to whet players’ appetites.
Add a keyboard and your iPad become a very capable desktop. Or a laptop, if you’d prefer. Photo: Satechi
Your iPad is a powerful computer, and becomes even more so if you attach a keyboard to it. Fortunately, it’s easy. The only complication is there are a bunch of different options.
Let’s go through the possibilities so you can pick the one that’s best for you.
VLC Media Player 3.3 has a re-written video playback interface. There are many other new features, too. Photo: VideoLAN/Cult of Mac
A new version of VLC Media Player for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV includes some much-requested features, including support for accessing files from connected drives as well as spatial audio with AirPods Pro and Max
This is a popular — and free — choice for playing video and audio, and updates are fairly rare. That said, VLC Media Player 3.3 appears to be worth the wait.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max and the Galaxy S22 Ultra were dropped 1M onto cement. Photo: PhoneBuff
Drop test show the iPhone 13 Pro Max survives damaging falls better than Galaxy S22 Ultra does. This despite the Samsung model using a new type of glass.
The competition was relatively close, but Apple’s handset came out ahead.
Plugable’s latest USB-C hub lets you add a trio of monitors, and it sports six USB-A ports. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Plugable UD-6950PDZ Docking Station includes a trio 4K HDMI Ports and the same number of 4K DisplayPort ports. These allow users to mix and match up to three monitors. That includes M1 MacBooks that natively support only one.
The USB-C dock also includes half a dozen USB-A ports, Ethernet and more.
I put this powerful accessory through a battery of hands-on tests to see how it performed. And it lived up to my expectations.
Many of Apple’s most-used services went offline early Monday, but things seem to be getting back to normal. Photo: Cult of Mac/Mabel Amber/Pexels CC
Update:About two hours after various Apple services experienced widespread problems Monday, the company reported that things should be back online.
It’s not just you: Many Apple services are offline Monday. The outage affects 23 of Apple services, including many high-profile ones that users depend upon. The list of Apple services disrupted includes the App Store, iCloud, Apple Maps and Apple Music.
Apple Watch fall detection can save you if you’re knocked unconscious. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Raylene Hackenwerth received an Apple Watch as a gift.. a gift that she says saved her life. The wearable called 911 for her after it detected she had taken a very bad fall. And that’s just the start.
This isn’t what the Mac Studio looks like. But it should be. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Mac Studio looks just a bit… off. It’s the three front-facing ports. They aren‘t arranged like they should be. The SD card slot makes a horizontal line, but the two USB-C ports are vertical.
It’s an unusual miss for a company that’s typically obsessed with tiny design details.
The Targus Antimicrobial Active Stylus for iPad makes a great addition to an iPad, no matter where you take it. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Targus Antimicrobial Active Stylus for iPad resists up to 99.9% of bacterial growth for the life of the product. That’s one less thing to worry about while you’re taking notes or sketching on your tablet.
I tested this stylus with my iPad Pro to be sure it’s up to the job. Here’s why the extra features Targus built in make me quite pleased with it.
Pinecone & Pony set off for adventure April 8 on Apple TV+. Photo: DreamWorks Animation/Apple TV+
DreamWorks Animation created Pinecone & Pony, the animated adventure of a girl learning that there’s more than one way to be a warrior. The series for kids and families premieres on Apple TV+ on April 8.
A trailer for the upcoming series gives a taste of the fun to come.
Matter is going to… matter to fans of home automation. Photo: Connectivity Standards Alliance
The release date for the Matter standard has been pushed back to fall of 2022. Previously, Apple and the rest of the Connectivity Standards Alliance had hoped to launch the cross-platform home-automation standard much earlier in the year.
A primary goal is interoperability, allowing accessories to connect to HomeKit, Alexa, Google Home, etc. Matter might finally make smart homes more common… even mainstream.
Mac Studio offers better performance than Mac Pro. But there’s at least one major drawback. Photo: Apple
The powerful Mac Studio desktop first reaches customers on Friday, but the initial reviews are out to answer any lingering questions about Apple’s latest macOS desktop.
This is supposed to be Apple’s new mid-range desktop, but hands-on tests show it beats the 2019 Mac Pro hands down.
The long, long wait for YouTube picture-in-picture support for iPhone could be near its end. Graphic: YouTube
YouTube has once again pushed back the date when it will apparently follow through on its promise to allow all iPhone users to watch video from its application in a small window while another app is open. The feature is already available for YouTube Premium subscribers, but it in beta testing, and that is scheduled to end on April 8. So that’s that next date that picture-in-picture could become available for all iPhone users.
When it finally launches, PiP will make YouTube videos easier to enjoy because they’ll allow people to use their iPhone to multitask while also watching.
Cyberflashing could put you behind bars in the UK. That includes using AirDrop to do it. Image: Cult of Mac/Icons8
Cyberflashing, sharing unsolicited sexual image via social media, could soon be a crime in the U.K. That specifically includes using Apple’s AirDrop to send a nearby stranger a picture of your junk.
Just… don’t do it. For a lot of reasons. Including the fact that you don’t want to spend up to two years in prison.
Slack for iPad works more like the desktop version. Graphic: Slack
Slack promises a “major update” for the iPad version of its application. It mixes the mobile and desktop versions into a design suited for a tablet.
With so many people working from home, iPad has become a computer millions depend on for their jobs. And Slack is a part of the daily routine for many of them, leading to complaints about the design of the previous version.
Apple is allegedly working to make this dream into a reality. Illustration: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
iPad users will soon be able to work with applications in floating windows, if an unconfirmed report is correct. This is a highly requested feature from those who want Apple’s tablet to function more like a Mac.
iPadOS will supposedly offer something like tablet mode and laptop mode depending on how it is being used.