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 Satechi OntheGo 3-in-1 Charger is ready for your next vacation. Photo: Satechi
Put a Satechi OntheGo 3-in-1 Charger on a hotel nightstand and it’s ready to juice up your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods all at once. When it’s time to go, it folds up into a travel-friendly shape.
There’s also a 2-in-1 version, and both hit store shelves on Tuesday.
An Ethernet adapter might be a worthy addition to your iPhone. Graphic: Cult of Mac
iPhones are, by definition, wireless devices, but a connection via Ethernet adapter brings speed, security and reliability. Fortunately, adding a wired internet connection to your iPhone is very easy.
What if your iPhone could become a mini Mac? AI concept: ChatGPT
An iPhone running iOS 19 will be able to display applications running in windows on an external screen, according to a Thursday report from a noted tipster.
If true, it’ll enable iOS to act much more Mac-like than ever before. If Apple continues developing in this direction, an iPhone could eventually be someone’s only computer .
iPadOS 19 might get a home screen menu bar similar to the one in macOS. Photo: Majin Bu
iPadOS 19 will include a menu bar at the top of the screen like the one in macOS, according to a noted tipster on Thursday. If true, it’ll be a major step toward making iPads act more like Macs.
In addition, the system for managing floating application windows is supposedly in for an upgrade in iPadOS 19.
Improvements to TSMC chip-making tech benefit Apple users. Photo: TSMC
TSMC unveiled its A14 chip-making process Wednesday, which is designed to increase the AI capabilities of future smartphones, among more general improvements. The Taiwanese foundry is perhaps best known for making all the processors for iPhone, Mac and other Apple computers.
A14 will follow the N2 process set to go into production later this year, and the A16 process scheduled for 2026.
The EU wants Apple to make it easier for iPhone users to install applications outside the App Store. AI image: Grok
The system Apple set up to enable EU residents to load apps onto their iPhones outside the App Store violates the Digital Markets Act, according to a decision handed down Wednesday by the European Commission. It cites “overly strict eligibility requirements” and Apple’s new Core Technology Fee as reasons.
It’s a preliminary decision, but if Apple doesn’t make the app sideloading process easier, the DMA gives the European Commission the right to hit the iPhone maker with hefty fines.
Apple is in hot water with the EU over the Digital Markets Act again. Photo: Sora Shimazaki/Pexels CC
The European Union socked Apple with a fine of 500 million euros ($570 million) Wednesday for breaking antisteering rules in the Digital Markets Act. It also fined Meta 200 million euros for DMA violations.
The two companies face further fines if they don’t make the changes the EU demands.
The Apple Watch Control Center has some nifty features you should be aware of. Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple Watch does so much that it’s possible for some of its handy tricks to get lost. You can’t call these three Apple Watch tips marquee features. But they can make life just a bit more convenient.
Here’s how to turn on the flashlight, find your iPhone and silence alarms on your iPhone from an Apple Watch.
It’s easy to make apps avoid the MacBook notch Image: Cult of Mac
If your favorite app doesn’t work well with the screen notch in your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, there is a solution. Apple created a “Scale to fit below built-in camera” setting that always puts the app into the space below the notch when in full-screen mode.
And it can be set for individual apps. Here’s how.
The future of battery recycling might have just been rewritten. Photo: Cult of Mac
In what might be the biggest battery recycling news of the decade, scientists in China found a way to achieve nearly 100% voltage recovery in worn-out lithium-ion batteries by precisely heating them to high temperatures while applying voltage. This has the potential for “rejuvenating aging batteries, making old electric vehicles like new,” according to the institute where the research was conducted.
This is exactly the sort of news one hopes for on Earth Day.
Sometimes, your Apple Watch really is better than your iPhone. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
It’s time to break the habit of doing everything on your iPhone while overlooking what’s often a better alternative. Consider the Apple Watch pros: It’s a very capable little computer, and it’s right there on your wrist. Odds are you aren‘t taking advantage of half of what it can do for you.
Here are the simple tasks I used to do on my iPhone that are now easier because I do them on my Apple Watch. And all without needing any third-party software. The only apps required come preinstalled on every Apple Watch.
Make your Apple Watch useful for more than health tracking. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Odds are, you’re not taking advantage of all the useful things your Apple Watch can do for you. That’s because we all tend to grab our iPhone, even when it’s not the best option. I started using my smartwatch much more after I began asking myself one simple question whenever I grab my iPhone: “Would this be easier on my Apple Watch?”
★★★★☆
GameBaby can be your key to retro gaming fun. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
GameBaby from Bitmo Lab is both an iPhone case and a game controller. Combined with the Delta retro game emulator, the accessory’s clever design allows you to play classic games on your phone with real buttons. And there’s nothing wrong with a new way to have fun.
For my GameBaby review, I tested it with my iPhone 16 Pro Max, and it’s the closest thing to a Game Boy I’ve played in much too long.
Plus, it’s available at a huge discount right now — 38% off. But the deal only lasts a few more days.
DeepL can replace the iPhone default translation app with a better alternative. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
You can now set DeepL Translate as the default translation application on iPhones and iPads, replacing Apple’s own app. Powered by artificial neural networks, the machine-translation service supports a wider range of languages than Apple’s Translate app. And in our testing, it delivered slightly better translation as well.
DeepL Translate is the first third-party app that can serve as the iPhone’s default translation app … it beat Google Translate to the punch. The option works for iPhone users in the United States and the European Union.
Here’s how to set DeepL as the default on your iPhone or iPad.
David Oyelowo stars in Government Cheese on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+
British actor David Oyelowo stars in the new “surrealist family comedy” Government Cheese, coming to Apple TV+ in spring 2025.
Oyelowo is always good — he also features in Apple’s very popular sci-fi series Silo — so it may be worth checking this one out.
Update: The comedy series is now streaming on Apple TV+. The review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes says, “Peculiar and peppy, Government Cheese has some holes but gets by on the strength of its nutty writing and a collection of tangy performances.”
iOS 18.4.1 squashes bugs, including one related to CarPlay. Screenshot: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Wednesday brought system software patches to an array of Apple devices, all intended to fix bugs. This includes the release of iOS 18.4.1 to remove a bug that prevented some iPhone users from accessing CarPlay over a wireless connection. There are two important security fixes, too.
Plus, Apple also made macOS Sequoia 15.4.1, iPadOS 18.4.1, tvOS 18.4.1 and visionOS 2.4.1 available at the same time. But no equivalent watchOS update appeared.
The Chipolo Pop tracker tag comes in a rainbow of colors. Photo: Chipolo
Unlike rival item trackers, the Chipolo Pop doesn’t force you to choose between iPhone and Android. You can find your misplaced keys or cat with either Apple’s Find My network or Google’s Find My Device.
Plus, the Bluetooth tracker tag comes in a range of colors.
Apple explains how training its LLMs won’t be a user privacy nightmare. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple’s AI efforts don’t have to be hampered by its commitment to user privacy. A blog post published Monday explains how the company can generate the data needed to train its large language models without the privacy violations caused by Apple itself reading people’s emails or messages.
It’s an indirect, opt-in system that takes advantage of the small AIs the Apple builds into millions of users’ devices.
★★★★★
The Espresso 15 Pro looks stunning. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Espresso 15 Pro offers everything Apple users want in a high-end portable monitor. 4K? Yes. Gorgeous. Oh, yeah. Touchscreen? Got it. USB-C? Check.
It has an all-aluminum body that makes it look great from any angle. And as a bonus, it comes with an innovative stand that lets you position the screen where you want it, even above your notebook.
I used the Espresso 15 Pro display in my home office and when working remotely, and am simply blown away. Here’s why.
The thrilling Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown can now be played on iPhone and iPad. Photo: Ubisoft
Ubisoft released Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on Monday for iPhone, iPad and Android. The award-winning action-adventure platformer challenges players to use Time Powers to defeat time-corrupted enemies and save the land.
The game runs at 60 FPS on recent generations of mobile devices.
iPhone 16e helped propel Apple to the top of the world smartphone market. Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
For the first time ever, Apple has claimed the global smartphone crown in the opening quarter of the year, thanks largely to the success of its iPhone 16e, according to data released Monday by a market analysis firm. With a strategic push into emerging markets and a rare off-cycle product launch, the tech giant surged past Samsung in Q1 2025 — a shift in the high-stakes battle for mobile dominance.
Apple sales grew during the period, while those of its chief rival Samsung dropped.
The iPhone is free from Trump tariffs. Photo: Google Gemini/Cult of Mac
In a tremendous turnaround, President Donald Trump removed the hefty tariffs he’d imposed on phone, computers and many other electronics being imported into the United States. The change, which came late Friday, should prevent price hikes that Apple, HP, Dell, etc. would likely have had to charge customers to pay for the import taxes.
There will reportedly also be no tariffs on processors, TVs, solar panels, flash drives and removable memory cards — no matter what country they are made in.
We might not have to wait another year for the much-anticipated AI-enhanced Siri. Image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
Apple’s release date for a much smarter version of Siri will reportedly come in the fall, according to sources inside the company. While that’s many months later than Apple originally hoped, it’s still far sooner than some people feared.
Perhaps a recent shakeup of the Siri management team is bearing fruit.
Plane loads of iPhones rushed to the U.S. recently. Image: Cult of Mac/Google Gemini
New details emerged Thursday about Apple’s mad scramble to import millions of iPhones ahead of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The company reportedly rushed 600 tons of iPhones into the United States from India last week. And, while there has been no word of a similar pre-tariff rush of iPhone imports from China, it seems unlikely Apple would overlook such an obvious move.
All this means there are surely even more iPhones, Macs, etc., stockpiled to meet U.S. consumer demand without price hikes — at least in the short term.
★★★★★
This is what you need to bring high-speed wired internet access to your MacBook. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Plugable USBC-E5000 5 Gbps USB-C Ethernet Adapter is as good as having an Ethernet port on your MacBook. Connect it to your cable, plug it into your Mac, and you no longer need to worry about the vagaries of Wi-Fi — you have a solid and secure wired internet connection.
Even better, it supports very fast internet connections for those with hefty connectivity demands.
I tested the affordable USB-C to Ethernet adapter in my home office and on the road to be sure it’s worth the money.