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.
Fight monsters — and maybe Dracula — in Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls on Apple Arcade. Screenshot: Konami
A classic vampire hunting video game series is back from the dead, and it’s only on Apple Arcade. Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls includes beloved characters but there’s new story full of side-scrolling action.
It’s joined by the release of Temple Run: Puzzle Adventure on Apple’s gaming service.
These fun new emoji will appear on your iPhone in 2022. Graphic: Emojipedia
Soon there’ll be a fresh crop of new emoji that let you show you are melting, have a low battery or are feeling ambivalent or teary-eyed. There are 37 brand-new additions.
But don‘t get too enthusiastic. The emoji probably won’t appear on iPhones and other devices until 2022.
Apple’s new iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe can do a trick. Photo: Apple
Apple’s newest leather iPhone MagSafe wallet has a trick: The handset can show the user the last place the wallet was attached. This should make finding the clip-on accessory easier.
But it’s short of actually building an AirTag tracker into the wallet.
The OS upgrades for almost every Apple device are nearly ready. But an important one is missing. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
The moment we’ve been waiting for since June is almost here. Apple seeded Release Candidates for iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8 and tvOS 15 to developers on Tuesday. This means the beta testing process is almost over.
The final versions will reach users in under a week. Apple promised the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch updates will launch on Monday, September 20. And the Apple TV one could be out the same day.
The iPhone 13 is heavier than its predecessor. But that’s because of a larger battery. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
The good news for buyers of the iPhone 13 series is that all four handsets promise significantly longer battery lives. The downside is that the change required putting in bulkier batteries that add to the weight and thickness.
Still, the increases are fairly marginal for an improvement that’s near the top of so many iPhone users’ wish lists.
There was a lot to love at the Apple September event. But not everything. Photo: Apple
Apple surprised us several times Tuesday during its September product launch event. There was a lot to love on display … but not everything was awesome. We got some products we expected and some we didn’t.
Here are the high and low points of Apple’s “California Streaming” event.
The 6.1-inch iPhone 13 and 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini are not the simple “speed bump” updates some had expected. Apple built significant enhancements into these two models, including a smaller notch, better cameras, more storage. And a faster processor, of course.
iPad 9 has twice the storage capacity for the same low price. Photo: Apple
Apple caught many people by surprise by launching the iPad 9 on Tuesday. The budget tablet has twice the storage capacity of its predecessor and a faster processor, too. Plus, an upgraded front-facing camera makes this a better option for video conferencing.
The 2021 iPad will hit store shelves later in September.
Mahershala Ali in “Swan Song,” coming soon to Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+
The genre-bending film Swan Song is reportedly nearing its debut on Apple TV+. It’ll star Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali, and the cast includes Glenn Close, Awkwafina and Naomie Harris.
In addition to appearing on the streaming service, Apple is planning a limited theater release beginning December 17 to qualify the movie for Oscar awards.
The Woz says the sky is no longer the limit. Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak’s next venture is a private space company. Details are still scanty about his newly formed company, Privateer Space, other than its goal is to “keep space safe and accessible.”
Just when you thought Apple’s next software release would be iOS 15… Graphic: Ed Hardy/Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac
Apple rushed out updates for iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Watches on Monday to patch a pair of critical security vulnerabilities. The updates protect users from arbitrary code execution that can be triggered by maliciously crafted PDFs or web content, Apple said in its release notes.
In both cases, “Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited,” the company said.
The updates include iOS 14.8, iPadOS 14.8, macOS Big Sur 11.6, watchOS 7.6.2 and security patches for Safari and macOS Catalina.
Apple might be about to make AirPods more affordable. Photo: Charlie Sorrel
Apple is expected to introduce the third-generation of AirPods this week. But the current version of these truly wireless headphones reportedly won’t be discontinued. This might result in AirPods 2 dropping in price.
It would be quite a change, as Apple’s earbuds are some of the most expensive on the market.
Harleys and iPhones don’t always mix well. Photo: Javier Aguilera/Pexels
Motorcycle riders, if you’ve noticed that your iPhone pictures have been getting worse, it’s not your imagination. Apple warned that long-term exposure to “high amplitude vibrations” can damage the camera in your iPhone.
And the situation isn’t much better with scooters.
A smaller notch is just one of many changes that leaked out about the iPhone 13 ahead of the impending launch. Artists concept: Cult of Mac
Apple will almost certainly unveil the iPhone 13 at its “California Streaming” event on Tuesday. But why wait? Virtually all the details already leaked out. Here’s everything we’re expecting for Apple’s 2021 handset.
This won’t be a simple “speed bump” upgrade. Quite a bit is changing.
Expect a new Apple TV+ show or movie every every few days next year. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple is reportedly ramping up the pace of new content for its streaming video service. Apple TV+ will allegedly debut a new show or movie every week in 2022.
If true, this would significantly increase the amount of content available in the service that’s about to hit its second anniversary.
How you buy iPhone in-app purchases will never be the same after Friday’s ruling from a federal judge. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple has been ordered by a federal judge to allow iPhone software developers to point customers to their own websites to make in-app purchases. Previously, Apple required all these transactions to happen through its payment system. The change will prevent the iPhone-maker from collecting 15% to 30% of the revenue from transactions that go through developers’ direct payment systems.
This is the primary result of the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit. And it’s exactly what Epic asked for in the first place.
Toodee, Foofa, Plex, Brobee and Muno are on their way to Apple’s streaming service. Photo: WildBrain
A new season of the musical educational show Yo Gabba Gabba! will premier on Apple TV+. Plus, children will soon be able to tune in to Apple’s streaming service to watch previous episodes, which offer music, live-action characters, animation and a very optimistic attitude.
This is part of the growing collection of children’s programming on Apple TV+.
Solve match-3 puzzles to build a collection of adorable animals in Zookkeeper World. Photo: Kiteretsu/Apple Arcade
Fans of match-3 puzzle games should be pleased that Zookeeper World just launched on Apple Arcade because it isn’t burdened with the biggest drawback of the genre. But it does offer a variety of adorable animals to collect and puzzles to play through.
You might remember this game as simply Zookeeper. It’s been renamed and is now exclusively for subscribers of Apple’s service, which also includes a lengthy list of other games.
Apple smartglasses can’t make the same mistake as the ones just released by Facebook and Ray-Ban. Photo: Cult of Mac/Ray-Ban
Facebook and Ray-Ban teamed up on a pair of smart glasses. It’s essentially a camera you wear on your face, making it a perfect example of what not to do with this type of product. They turn the wearer into a walking, talking privacy violation.
Apple is designing its own smart glasses. These better not have a camera or they’re dead on arrival.
Jason Momoa is one of the reasons the second season of See is doing well. Photo: Apple TV+
The second season of See is off to a strong start. The fantasy drama starring Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista recently returned to Apple TV+, and there clearly a lot of anticipation built up. Viewership is reportedly up 30%.
Enough people are tuning in to give See the strongest sophomore season of any drama on Apple’s streaming service.
Tremendously expand the usefulness of your iPad with this tiny USB-C hub. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Plug the Twelve South StayGo mini into the USB-C port on an iPad Pro or Air and you’ll add a USB-A port, HDMI and a headset jack. All without sacrificing the USB-C port. And it can be used with a Mac thanks to a handy cable.
I put this matchbook-size adapter through its paces. Here’s how it stood up to my testing.
Here’s what the iPhone 14 might look like. You can easily see it in more detail with the magic of augmented reality. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
iPhone 13 is still a week away but a major leak on Wednesday revealed many of the details of the iOS handset that’ll replace it in 2022. That includes renders of the iPhone 14 that you can check out in amazing augmented reality.
With AR, you can bring a virtual 3D version the device into your home or office and see it from every side. This might be the best way to see the coming end of the camera bump. And to wonder if Apple will really replace the screen notch with a “hole punch” camera.
The man reportedly running Apple car development has taken an exit. Photo illustration: Cult of Mac/Wikipedia CC
Development of an Apple car just hit another speed bump. Doug Field, who’d reportedly been managing the project, just left to join the Ford Motor Company.
This is surely a blow to Apple’s secretive automotive efforts. And the company was already multiple years away from having anything to put in a showroom, according to the latest leaks.
Does this image suggest new camera features for the iPhone 13? Photo: Apple
Some people love to carefully examine Apple event invites as though each one serves as a crystal ball that can show the future. The one that went out Tuesday might have been crafted to suggest that the iPhone 13 will be better at taking pictures of stars. Or maybe it hints that Apple’s virtual-reality headset will be unveiled.
On the other hand, it could be nothing more than a pretty picture.