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.
The dysfunctional but lovable developers of Mythic Quest are coming back for two more seasons. Photo: Apple TV+
The gamer-themed workplace comedy Mythic Quest has been picked up for seasons three and four on Apple TV+. Not surprising: season two of the show enjoys a 100% critics approval score from Rotten Tomatoes.
The ensemble cast will return for more dysfunctional but somehow warm hearted office shenanigans.
Shop at the Apple Store with an Apple Card and you’ll reportedly get double the usual cash back. There has been no announcement, but unconfirmed reports indicate that the usual 3% Daily Cash back jumped to 6%.
The HDMI port, MagSafe charger and SD card reader in the new 2021 MacBook Pro models prove Apple design is back on track. Photo: Apple
In 2016, Apple proudly unveiled a new MacBook Pro that rejected the HDMI port, the MagSafe charger and the SD card reader of the past. Fast forward to 2021, and the company just released new MacBook Pro models with an HDMI port, MagSafe and SD card reader.
Why the reversal? Apple’s head of design Jony Ive left in 2019 after decades with the company. His tendency to push form over function led Cupertino down the wrong path in many ways. And Apple is just now undoing mistakes Ive was responsible for. Like taking out ports that most buyers wanted.
RapidX MyCharging Station can wirelessly charge your iPhone in a vertical tray. And power four other devices at the same time. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Mount the RapidX MyCharging Station on a wall socket and it can juice up all your gear without taking up counter space.
I added the accessory to my office and have been using it to keep my phone and tablet going. Here’s what it’s like to use the MyCharging Station in real life.
Series of online sessions and one-on-one conversations will support developers. Photo: Apple
Apple will provide one-on-one guidance to developers in a series of online events dubbed Tech Talks 2021. There will be presentations from Apple experts, each followed by a Q&A session. Plus experts will open their virtual doors in “office hours” meetings.
The free series will include more than 100 live sessions and 1,500 office hours. All coming from Apple locations around the world in multiple time zones.
Good news: the MacBook Pro notch doesn’t hinder cursor movement. Photo: Apple
The recently announced MacBook Pro models are the first with a screen notch. This raised questions about how the cursor handles the cutout. Will the cursor get stuck on the notch? Or will it pass through? Or automatically flow around?
Wonder no more: We have an official answer from Apple.
Apple Logic Pro running on the 2021 MacBook Pro shows a lot of dead space because there’s no support for the screen notch. Photo: Apple
The just-launched MacBook Pro models are the first with a screen notch. And this apparently came as a surprise to many of Apple’s own software developers as some of the company’s professional apps don’t support the screen cutouts. Which means they can’t fill the new Mac displays and must leave blank areas.
This won’t make it easier for Apple to convince third-party developers to fully support the latest macOS notebooks.
You and your friends can each design a minifig and join the fun in Lego Star Wars: Castaways. Photo: Gameloft/Apple Arcade
Explore a mysterious new planet with friends in Lego Star Wars: Castaways. It will be the first social, action-adventure Lego Star Wars game, so it’ll offer chances to relive great moments from the movies or have dance parties.
The upcoming Gameloft title will be available only on Apple Arcade.
Play some serious basketball with NBA 2K22. Photo: 2K/Apple Arcade
Basketball season kicks off Tuesday and that brings the launch of NBA 2K22 Arcade Edition on Apple Arcade. It promises authentic action starring top players. And also a new mode that lets you run your own NBA franchise.
The just-launched game is exclusive to Apple’s gaming service. There are versions for Mac, iPhone and other Apple platforms.
You can still get the 16-inch MacBook Pro before Christmas, if you hurry. Photo: Apple
You might find yourself waiting months to get the just-announced MacBook Pro. Order one of the standard configurations and it’ll arrive in this month or November at the latest. But upgrade the configuration and the wait time slips back to mid-December.
Anyone hoping to get a redesigned 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro with the powerful new M1 Pro or M1 Max processor with a minimal wait should get their order in soon. Those who want a top-of-the-line configuration before Christmas really ought to hurry.
If you wish, you can make Safari in macOS Monterey look like it does in macOS Big Sur. Photo: Apple
Apple threw in the towel on its efforts to change the way Mac users interact with the Safari web browser. Most of the design modifications unveiled at this summer’s Worldwide Developers Conference to emphasize tabs are now completely optional as a result of protests from beta testers.
The latest revisions appear in the release candidates for macOS Monterey, which went to developers Monday.
iOS 15.1 could be only a week away. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple seeded Release Candidates for iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1 to developers on Monday, adding the long-awaited SharePlay feature. The release candidates for watchOS 8.1 and tvOS 15.1 were also seeded. This means the beta testing process for all of these is almost over.
In addition, developers also got access to the macOS Monterey Release Candidate. Apple promised to introduce the final version to Mac users on October 25.
HomePod mini will soon debut in three new colors: orange, yellow, and blue. That’s in addition to white and space gray. Photo: Apple
There’s good news for those bored by the HomePod mini’s color options. Apple just announced at Monday’s “Unleashed” event that its smart speaker will soon be available in three additional hues.
The price isn’t going up. But there’ll be a wait to order the fresh options.
Plenty of new Macs are possibly on the agenda for the Apple October event. Concepts: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac/Antonio De Rosa
Apple’s “Unleashed” event on Monday is likely to bring what Mac fans have been eagerly anticipating for over a year: redesigned MacBook Pro models with upgraded displays and the return of traditional ports. But that’s just the start. We could see the debut of two more models, all powered by a new Apple M-series processor.
Here are the computers that leaks and rumors say are coming. But we could always be surprised. Again.
Wouldn’t this be great? Too bad it’s only a dream. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
People around the world are receiving their new Apple Watch Series 7, and every single one of them includes a band whether the buyer wants it or not. Over successive versions, many Watch wearers have built a collection of bands and don’t need another. But Apple doesn’t give them a choice when it comes to buying a new Watch.
At a time when Apple says it’s trying to fight waste, it really should offer the Apple Watch without requiring a new band.
A new head of HomePod software development making make Apple’s smart speaker smarter. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Apple reportedly hired Afrooz Family as its new head of software development for the HomePod. He’s supposedly been tasked with making the smart speaker a stronger rival for Amazon’s and Google’s products.
That would be something of a turnaround for the product.
A student snapped a picture of their classmate’s PC screen with an iPhone and is using iOS 15’s Live View to copy the text. Screenshot: Juan Buis
Suppose you glance around in class and notice the person in front of you is taking way better notes than you are. An iPhone running iOS 15 makes grabbing a copy easy as pie without the hassle of asking permission — thanks to the magic of Live Text.
A video of this happening in the real world that was posted on Twitter is going viral. Watch it now.
A couple of big things might be on the docket for the Apple October event. Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple promises “big things” at its product event happening October 18. Although that’s the only official hint we have, leaks have revealed details on a couple of extra-large Macs that might fit the bill.
And there could be good news for fans of both MacBook and iMac at the “Unleashed” event.
Florida could be the ninth state to offer digital driver’s licenses in Apple Wallet. Photo: Apple
Many Floridians will soon be able to leave home with just their iPhone… no wallet necessary. Florida is working with Apple to display its residents’ digital driver’s licenses in the Wallet app.
When the feature becomes available, residents of the Sunshine State plus eight other states will be able to store and display digital versions of their driver’s licenses on their iPhone and Apple Watch.
Working with multiple Macs and iPads get a lot easier with Universal Control. Screenshot: Apple
Apple released the tenth and possibly final beta of macOS Monterey on Wednesday and it still doesn’t allow testers to try out Universal Control. Apple will either have to delay the introduction of one of the highlights of macOS 12 or release it without it having gone through the usual beta testing program.
Apple normally announces when the debut of a major feature has been delayed. But it has not done so with Universal Control.
The Kingston DataTraveler Max is so fast it leaves old USB-A flash drives in the dust. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Kingston DataTraveler Max is blazing fast. It supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 so the new flash drive can transfer data at up to 1,000MBps. And it uses USB-C so can be plugged into any Mac and most iPads.
I tested Kingston’s speed claims under real-world conditions. And data transfers are so quick it made me want to pitch out all my old flash drives.
You can easily expand your Windows PC’s working area by turning your iPad into a second screen. Photo: Astropad
Luna Display 5.0 allows Windows PC users to make their iPad into a second screen. A hardware/software combination from Astropad lets the two disparate computers communicate via a wireless adapter for USB-C or HDMI.
Harriet the Spy will premiere November 19, 2021, exclusively on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ released the first trailer for its adaptation of the children’s classic Harriet the Spy. The animated series about the irrepressible Harriet M. Welsch is set to debut on the streaming service on November 19.
Plenty of talent is involved. It’ll star Golden Globe and SAG Award nominee Beanie Feldstein, and include Emmy winner Jane Lynch. The series will be produced by The Jim Henson Company.
The first round of Apple Watch Series 7 reviews are in. Photo: Apple
The larger screen in the Apple Watch Series 7 is the highlight of the upcoming wearable, according to the first reviews out today. And reviewers praise faster charging, too.
Even so, the consensus is that the new model will be a welcome upgrade for those with an older Watch but not a significant jump for those with Series 6.