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.
Apple probably raked in more revenue in the 2021 holiday quarter than in any previous quarter in its history. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
When Apple reveals its financial results from the holiday shopping season on Thursday, analysts predict the company will announce its best quarter ever.
Whether the Mac-maker meets this lofty goal will have a big effect on its stock price, which has been sliding in recent weeks.
Apple Watch users can return to happily charging with watchOS 8.4. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple Watch wearers can now install watchOS 8.4. And many will want to do so soon because the new version removes an irritating bug that prevented some third-party chargers from working.
macOS 12.2 takes care of a few bugs. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Mac users can now install macOS Monterey 12.2. Apple is vague about what’s in the new version. However, prerelease beta testers indicate it brings a rewritten Apple Music app and smoother scrolling for MacBooks with ProMotion displays. It definitely fixes a serious Safari bug.
iOS 15.7.4 takes care of a long list of security bugs. Photo: Cult of Mac/Egor Kamelev/Pexels
Apple made iOS 15.3 available to all compatible iPhone models Monday. The update squashes at least one bug that recently made headlines. But there are no new features.
Apple also introduced iPadOS 15.3 to erase many of the same bugs. And macOS Monterey 12.2 and watchOS 8.4 debuted, too. tvOS 15.3 arrived Monday as well.
The iVoler Vertical Laptop Stand saves room on your desk, and is just cool looking. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
What to do with your MacBook or iPad when you’re not using them? You can just leave them lying around but that’s wasteful of space. The iVoler Vertical Laptop Stand holds your computer upright, either when it’s charging or when you have an external screen and keyboard connected. Best of all, its clamp closes on your computer to securely hold it but also easily release it.
I tested the very affordable stand in my home office. Here’s why I love it.
Apple TV+ has a growing chunk of the U.S. streaming market. Netflix does not. Photo: Apple
Apple TV+ garners 5% of the U.S. streaming video market, according to a company that follows the industry. While that makes Apple TV+ a small player, the service started 2021 with just a 3% share, so the year saw significant growth.
Its two largest rivals, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, saw drops in their shares of the streaming market in 2021.
Faster and redesigned iMac Pro and Mac mini could be right around the corner. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Add faster versions of the Mac mini to the list of products predicted for an spring 2022 Apple event. The tiny desktop will supposed be upgraded with the latest Apple processors.
Home school teachers can once again get Apple education discounts. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The U.S. Apple Store for Education reversed a recent change Friday, dropping the requirement that shoppers prove they are a university student or teacher before they can get products at a discount. This surely comes as a relief for home-school teachers. But it’s also good news for anyone willing to fib to get a discount.
It’s not clear if this is a temporary rollback or a permanent change, though.
Central Park returns with eight all-new episodes on March 4. Photo: Apple TV+
The interrupted second season of Central Park will resume on March 4. The Apple TV+ musical comedy has eight more episodes with the madcap adventures of the Tillerman family.
The series has garnered multiple Emmy nominations, and the first half of the second season has a amazing 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Nickelodeon Extreme Tennis isn’t like any sport you’ve played before. Photo: Viacom/Apple
Danny Phantom heads to the tennis court with SpongeBob. Or Garfield faces down Invader Zim. It’s not animation day at Wimbledon — it’s Nickelodeon Extreme Tennis. The stars of animated shows past and present compete in a very unusual version of the sport.
The InnoView Portable Monitor is ideal for work, school, gaming or video. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The InnoView 15.6-inch Portable Monitor might be everything you’re looking for in a second screen for your MacBook. First off, it’s beautiful. And it’s very slim and lightweight. Plus it works with a wide variety of devices: Mac, iPad, even iPhone with the right adapter.
I used InnoView’s on-the-go display for both work and entertainment. Here’s all the many ways it impressed me. And its one flaw.
You read that right, Godzilla, the King of the Monsters himself, is getting a series on Apple TV+. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures
Apple TV+ is making a series set in Legendary’s MonsterVerse that includes movies like Godzilla vs. Kong. The show will be live action, and continue the story of humanity’s battle to survive in a world populated with city-crushing behemoths.
If you want an educational discount on a MacBook, better be prepared to prove you are a university student. Photo: Antoni Shkraba/Pexels
The U.S. Apple Store for Education now requires shoppers to prove they are a university student or teacher before they can get products at a discount. Before now, it essentially operated on the honor system, which was a giant loophole.
After the change, shoppers can’t even see the discounted prices without getting verified first.
The macOS 12.2 release candidate means a full release is almost here. Photo: Cult of Mac
The macOS Monterey 12.2 release candidate went to developers on Thursday. This makes a full launch only a few days away.
Apple has yet to give an official list of changes in the upcoming version, but beta testers indicate it will offer smoother scrolling on MacBooks with ProMotion displays and a rewritten Apple Music app.
Bug fixes aren't exciting, but they're necessary. Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple seeded the iOS 15.3 release candidate to developers on Thursday, along with the iPadOS equivalent. Surprisingly, the updates appear to include nothing but bug fixes and security updates. There are no new features. Still, I t’s possible these will take care of a headline-making WebKit bug that leaks user information.
Release candidates for macOS Monterey 12.2, watchOS 8.4 and tvOS 15.3 are also out on Thursday.
Grace Kaufman and Jacques Colimon in “The Sky Is Everywhere,” debuting February 11 on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ will premiere The Sky Is Everywhere, a story of love and loss, just in time for Valentine’s Day.
A trailer for the upcoming film debuted Thursday, giving viewers a first look at a young woman simultaneously dealing with the death of her sister and her first love.
C-band 5G is here, and it’s available on every 5G iPhone and iPad. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Both AT&T and Verizon began rolling out a new 5G version on Wednesday. And getting access via C-band doesn’t require getting a new iPhone. If your iOS device supports 5G, it can use the new version.
The same goes for iPad. If it has built-in 5G, it supports C-band.
Adds some library camouflage to your iPad and keyboard with the Twelve South BookBook Cover. Photo: Twelve South
While there are a lot of generic iPad cases, the new BookBook Cover from Twelve South is completely eye opening. It turns an iPad and keyboard into a leather-bound book. While making the tablet look medieval, it’s also protecting the valuable computer inside from bumps and blows.
Unlike the standard BookBook Case for iPad, this version has room to hold an Apple Magic Keyboard.
Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway will star in WeCrashed on Apple TV+, premiering spring 2022. Photo: Apple TV+
The first trailer for the Apple TV+ series WeCrashed focuses on the eerie cult of personality that WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann built before his company crashed. The series will star Jared Leto as Neumann, with Anne Hathaway playing his wife (and fellow WeWork exec), Rebekah.
The series will portray “the love story at the center of it all,” according to Apple. The streaming service also revealed on Wednesday the premiere date for the WeWork series: March 18, 2022.
You don’t need an Apple Pencil just to take notes. Consider the Adonit Neo Duo or Adonit Neo instead. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Writing on an iPad with a fingertip is ridiculous, but an Apple Pencil is overkill for many people. The Adonit Neo Duo is an active stylus with a fine tip that works well for taking notes of sketching. As a bonus, press a button and it also writes on iPhone. It even clings to the side of several iPad models.
There’s also the Adonit Neo, a simpler version that just works with iPad.
I tested the capabilities of both styli. And I found a lot to like.
Not a rumor. Proof that a new iPhone and iPad will launch within a few months. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
The Eurasian Economic Commission confirmed that Apple plans to release a new iPhone and iPad in the near future. The devices appear in the online database of the regulatory agency.
These are almost certainly the next-generation iPhone SE and iPad Air 5.
An iPad with a beautiful OLED display seems inevitable at this point. It’s only a question of when. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Multiple companies are reportedly gearing up to produce OLED displays for future iPad models. This would lead to a noticeable improvement in image quality.
But it’s apparently not going to happen before 2023.