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 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.
Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht got the tough job of building Apple TV+ from nothing. Photo: Apple
The first slate of Apple TV+ shows would seem to have little in common — they range from a teen comedy to a sci-fi epic — but the company’s top entertainment programming execs say they are all about relationships.
They also worked hard to make this new streaming service fit with the rest of Apple.
Apple might quietly unveil an iPhone 11 Smart Battery Case this week, like this one for last year’s handset. Photo: Apple
Rather than having an October event, Apple unveiled AirPods Pro today via press release. This sparked speculation that the company plans to quietly take the wraps off more products this week.
A release date for the Mac Pro, fresh Apple TV hardware, and other items could be announced, one each day.
The tiny GeoZilla GPS Tracker can be found anywhere cell phones work. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The GeoZilla GPS Tracker can find your dog if he gets out of the yard, even if he takes a plane to Reno. Or it can locate your lost luggage if the airline accidentally ships it to Australia.
There are plenty of tracking tags that can discover your keys in your living room, but the GeoZilla GPS Tracker uses built-in cellular-wireless access so it can be found anywhere.
Read on to find out if this is the ultra-portable global tracker you’ve been hoping for.
This Apple-1 has a mind-boggling price, but it’s nearly unique. Photo: krishmiti/eBay
The original Apple-1 is rare, but an eBay auction going on now is for a nearly unique version with a wood case made by the Byte Shop. There are reportedly only 6 of these still in existence. That’s why the seller is asking a cool $1,750,000.
Additions to Apple Arcade let you run around a barnyard as a muddy pig, or clobber legends of Slavic myth. Photo: Apple
Five newly released Apple Arcade games run the gamut from a side-scroller starring Lancelot wielding a laser sword all the way to a farmhand chasing down muddy pigs.
With these varied additions, Apple has almost reached the goal of 100 titles in its recently launched subscription gaming service.
An iPad Pro with Sentis Libra attached could be mistaken for a MacBook. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Sentis Libra gives an iPad Pro a keyboard and trackpad, allowing it to act as both a tablet and a laptop — something no MacBook can do.
However, rival keyboard maker Brydge accuses Sentis of using its patented design. Cult of Mac has both a Libra prototype and the most recent Brydge Pro, and we compare the two and let everyone judge whether the accusations made against this device stand up.
The Libra is undoubtedly great, including a highly-functional trackpad. So the real question is, who deserves credit for the design?
Anker eufyCam 2 protects your privacy. Photo: Anker
Anker is adopting Apple’s tech that makes video security systems more private and secure. It’s upcoming eufyCam 2 uses the Apple Home app to stream live video directly to an iPhone or iPad, without going through an Anker server.
Not resting on their laurels, engineers are looking for ways to improve Apple Pencil. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
A next-generation Apple Pencil could have a built-in touchscreen. And it’s apparently an actual improvement, not just something bolted on to make it cost more. The display would let the user know what color they’re about to draw with.
The more-affordable iPhone 11 is outselling either of the Pro series models. Photo: Apple
The iPhone 11 along with the Pro series reportedly accounted for a sizable chunk of Apple’s August-through-September handset sales, even though they were only available for two weeks during that quarter.
The most popular new model is the 6.1-inch iPhone 11, which costs significantly less than that iPhone 11 Pro series.
CNN’s NewsCo will go head to head-with Apple’s news service, as well as ones from Facebook and others. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
CNN is creating a news aggregator that will collect content from a variety of sources, with some portion of the service requiring a subscription. If this sounds familiar, it’s because that’s exactly what Apple News is.
There’s no coincidence — CNN thinks Apple and other big tech companies have too much control over the news.
Your next Apple Watch could be made by Foxconn, who also assembles iPhone and iPad. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple Watch might go through a big change behind the scenes. Until now, this wearable has been assembled mostly by Quanta, but that’s reportedly going to change next year. No less than three companies are going to take on the job.
The Adonit Note+ iPad stylus is designed for artists and note takers. Photo: Adonit
Adonit’s second-generation iPad stylus offers many features not in the original, including including tilt detection and pressure sensitivity. The Note+ also adds shortcut buttons for quick access to erase, redo, or other functions.
It has nearly the same feature set as the Apple Pencil while costing significantly less.
This simulated iPhone 11 Pro case appeals to those who think technology is only skin deep. Photo: digital_buyer/TikTok
Anyone who wants to look like they have the latest and greatest Apple handset without putting down the cash to replace their iPhone XS might be able to use a case that only simulates the appearance of an iPhone 11 Pro.
You can no longer turn back from iOS 13.2.3 Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
The next iPhone update will be iOS 13.2, and it might be out before the end of this month. A feature of the recently-announced Beats Solo Pro headphones requires this version, and the accessory debuts next week.
Firefox 70 offers a list of tracking cookies blocked by its Enhanced Tracking Protection. Photo: Firefox/Cult of Mac
Firefox fans can expect this web browser to be less of a drain on their MacBook’s battery. Plus, the latest version gives users a report showing the dozens of cookies attempting to track them across the Web.
Apple’s tablets would take another step toward parity with MacBook if Illustrator for iPad is real. Photo: Adobe/Cult of Mac
An iPad version of the Adobe Illustrator professional drawing tool is in development, according to an unconfirmed report.
This apparently indicates Adobe is in the midst of converting several of its desktop tools to iPadOS, as Photoshop for iPad is also scheduled to debut sometime next year.
If you didn’t install last week’s macOS Catalina Supplemental Update, you have a second chance. Photo: Apple
Apple today introduced a macOS Catalina Supplemental Update that’s apparently only very slightly different from one made available last week. It’s not clear what is different about this version.
The inexpensive iPhone on Apple’s docket will supposedly look like an iPhone 8 on the outside. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The sub-$400 iPhone supposedly coming the first quarter of next year will have improved wireless performance thanks to a liquid crystal polymer antenna, according to the well-respected analyst who’s the source of many details about this unannounced handset.
It’s often called the “iPhone SE 2” but allegedly won‘t have much in common with that earlier model aside from an affordable price tag.