Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That's because he's a "tablet first" type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don't try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
Be careful who you buy that used iPhone from. If it’s hot, Apple won‘t ever fix it. Photo: iFixit
An iPhone reported missing or stolen to an industry database can not be repaired at an Apple Store, according to a new company policy.
This means that people need to be careful who they buy from. If they get a deal on a device that turns out to be stolen, they might not able to get it fixed.
Play ball! Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV+ starts April 8. Photo: Paul Lim/Flickr CC
Apple TV+ got lucky with timing of the April 8 debut of Friday Night Baseball. The live sports show will start with the much-anticipated New York Mets debut of three-time Cy Young winner and eight-time All-Star Max Scherzer in a matchup with All-Star Juan Soto and the Washington Nationals.
That game will be followed by the Houston Astros versus the Los Angeles Angels. These weekly doubleheaders are free to watch and available to anyone with internet access (in eight countries to start). And they’re only on Apple TV+, with no subscription required (for a limited time).
We should be able to locate every type of Apple accessory with Find My. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
I’ve misplaced my AirPods case. It’s in my house … somewhere. Fortunately, I can use the Find My app to locate it, as though it were a lost AirPod or AirTag.
Ha, ha, ha! No, I can’t. AirPods cases don’t offer Find My support. Just as the feature is missing from far too many other Apple accessories.
This needs to change. Find My is amazing, but limited by not being on devices that need it.
Update:In autumn 2022, Apple built Find My support into AirPods Pro 2, a sign that the tracking system might be coming to more peripherals.
Don’t keep glancing at your phone — realityOS puts the directions in front of you. Concept: The Hacker 34
Anyone wondering why they’d want Apple’s much-rumored augmented-reality glasses should watch a new concept video. Rather than focusing on hardware, the concept explores daily use of realityOS, the operating system Apple is apparently creating for its AR glasses.
Watch it now to see what it might be like to wear Apple’s Next Big Thing.
The Samsung M8 isn’t as high-res as Apple’s new monitor, but costs half has much. And is loaded with other features. Photo: Samsung
The $1,599 price for the new Apple Studio Display makes it somewhat controversial. Samsung’s response is the $700 Smart Monitor M8, which measures 32 inches and has a UHD resolution.
Samsung clearly has its eye on Mac users. It built Apple AirPlay 2 into the screen. And an image of the display playing Apple TV+ is a prominent part of the press release.
The 2022 iPhone 14 will offer the best 5G service yet thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 modem. Photo: Qualcomm
When iPhone 14 launches this autumn, it’s expected to offer better 5G performance than its predecessors. The iPhone 13 already offers speedy connections, but a new modem in the 2022 version will bring advantages to the next iOS handset.
Chief among these is better connections in areas with weak 5G signal.
Lift your iMac with the Satechi Type-C Aluminum Monitor Stand Hub, and add some ports, too. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Satechi Type-C Aluminum Monitor Stand Hub for iMac adds some extra height to the all-in-one desktop. And it makes room for four additional USB ports, an SD card reader and an audio jack.
I put stand/hub combo through its paces to see how it stands up in everyday use.
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.