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Ed Hardy - page 5

John Ternus takes big step toward replacing Tim Cook as Apple CEO

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John Ternus standing in the Observatory at Apple Park
John Ternus is now reportedly managing both Apple's product design and execution.
Photo: Apple

John Ternus, Apple’s head of hardware engineering, reportedly just added an even more critical role at the company, being put in charge of design for the first time.
The intent of the change might be to give Ternus the experience needed to someday become Apple CEO.

Apple works on AI wearable with mics, cameras and more

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Apple AI Pin concept
An Apple AI Pin could look something like this concept design.
Concept image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

Apple is reportedly exploring a new category of wearable hardware: an AirTag-sized AI pin designed to clip onto clothing and function hands-free without a screen.
After mostly sitting on the sidelines for years, Apple is apparently jumping into the AI game in a big way.

Apple may reinvent Siri as a conversational AI in iOS 27

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Apple may reinvent Siri as a conversational AI in iOS 27
What if Siri was actually (gasp!) useful?
Image: Google Gemini/Cult of Mac

Forget the old, nearly useless Siri — Apple reportedly plans to upgrade the iPhone’s voice assistant into an AI-powered chatbot with iOS 27. Users will supposedly be able to converse with the new Siri, not just give it orders.

If true, this will let Apple compete directly against Android and Windows computers with built-in AI chatbots.

Your Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad gets firmware updates — here’s how they work

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Photo of Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad, used to illustrate article on how to update its firmware.
Your Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad might have a firmware update that needs installing.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

On Tuesday, Apple released firmware updates for the Magic Keyboard designed for the iPad Pro and iPad Air. This is something the company does periodically.
Making sure the accessory is on the latest version ensures it works reliably and remains fully compatible with the latest versions of iPadOS.
Updating is really very easy. Here’s what to do.

Apple’s sweetheart deal with its main chipmaker comes to abrupt end

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AI-generated cartoon image of Apple CEO Tim Cook sitting on a park bench holding roses and crying, used to illustrate a story about Apple's sweetheart deal with chipmaker TSMC coming to an abrupt end.
Sorry, Tim Cook. The days when Apple was TSMC's absolute favorite company are over.
AI image: Gemini/Cult of Mac

The long, happy relationship between Apple and chipmaker TSMC is going through a rough patch. It seems Nvidia has come between them.
As a result, Apple reportedly must pay significantly more for the processors it acquires from the Taiwanese foundry — and Cupertino might even need to fight to gain access to the latest chips.
It’s yet another example of how AI causes problems for Apple.

iPhone 18 Pro might transform the Dynamic Island [Update]

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Phone 18 Pro might transform the Dynamic Island
Phone 18 Pro might shrink and shift the Dynamic Island.
Image: FPT

Apple is prepping a surprising change to the Dynamic Island with the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro, according to a well-known tipster. The screen cutout will supposedly get a lot smaller, and it’ll move to a new location.

If true, it’ll be the most significant revamp to the Dynamic Island since it debuted in 2022.

How to turn off Liquid Glass in iOS 26 if you hate it

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Turn off Liquid Glass
You can easily deactivate Liquid Glass in iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe if you really can’t tolerate it.
Photo: Gemini/Cult of Mac

iOS 26’s Liquid Glass user interface brings dramatic change to the iPhone, so it’s no surprise that some people hate it. If the new translucent look is just not for you, you can tweak or turn off Liquid Glass in iOS 26.2. And it’s easy.

Plus, you will find the same settings in macOS Tahoe 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2, so you can turn off Liquid Glass on all your Apple devices if you like. Here’s how.

MacBook Pros disappear from stores — here’s why

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MacBook Pro disappearing from stores — Here’s why
You don't need to ask an Apple Genius why you can't find a M4 Pro or Max MacBook Pro in the store.
Photo: Apple

Order a MacBook Pro today, and you may never get it at all. But it’s not some horrible scam — Apple is very close to introducing new models, and the company knows you probably won’t want the ones available today once the new ones launch.

That’s why the wait times on many MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max processors stretches out well into February. It gives buyers time to change their orders.

Why Apple faces new pressure to raise iPhone and Mac prices

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Why Apple faces new pressure to raise iPhone and Mac prices
Rising component costs could leave Apple no choice but to raise prices.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Apple likely will struggle to acquire a critical component for all its products this year. In fact, the whole electronics industry will face the same problem, and the competition will drive up prices, according to analysts.

What’s the missing product? RAM. Why is it so hard to get? AI. But the full story is more complex than those two basic facts.

Steve Jobs would approve of building Google’s AI into Siri

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An AI image of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs giving a thumbs up in front of Apple and Google logos, used to illustrate an opinion piece about how he would have approved building Google's Gemini AI into Siri.
If Steve Jobs were here, he'd sign off on the Apple/Google partnership to add Gemini to Siri.
AI mage: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

The fact that Google Gemini will power the revamped Siri is drawing criticism from people convinced that Apple should have developed its own AI in-house to bring the voice assistant up to speed.

Some of the critics seem to think Apple always made its own software before now. Therefore they regard the deal with Google as a major policy shift — and a sign of weakness that would horrify Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

No. Just … no. These critics will be shocked to learn that many Apple products are built on top of tech developed outside the company … and often, it was Steve Jobs who did it!

You can use this tiny SSD anywhere — no adapter required [Review] ★★★★

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Kingston Dual Portable SSD review★★★★
This portable SSD bridges the gap with both USB-A and USB-C connectors.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Kingston Dual Portable SSD brings up to 2TB of storage to anyone in the process of transitioning from the old USB-A to the smaller USB-C standard. It’s small enough to easily carry around, and fast enough to quickly handle large files.

I ran tests on the drive to see how the portable SSD fares in real-world use. Read on to see how well it performed.

Go retro: Turn your Mac mini into a classic Macintosh

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Go retro: Turn your Mac mini into a modern Macintosh Classic
Upgrade your M4 Mac mini into a classic Macintosh with the Wokyis M5.
Photo: Wokyis

Retro tech is back, and it doesn’t get much more nostalgic than transforming a new M4 Mac mini into a Macintosh straight out of the 1980s. Better yet, the process is simple: Just pop the Mac mini into the Wokyis M5 dock and you’re done.

Don’t mistake this for simple cosmetic trickery. The add-on includes a functional 5-inch screen. Plus, it’s a hub that adds a variety of ports to the Mac as well as a slot for an internal SSD.

Pixelmator Pro arrives on iPad, bringing desktop-class image editing

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Pixelmator Pro for iPad
One of the best Mac image editing tools makes the jump to iPad.
Photo: Apple

iPad users will soon have access to a version of the Pixelmator Pro image editing application that previously was a Mac exclusive.

Apple promised that the upcoming tablet version of the application will be a significant step up from the features available in the current basic Pixelmator app for iPad. Plus, it will improve on the Mac version thanks to support for Apple Pencil.

But there’s bad news for users of the current, basic Pixelmator version.

Mac shipments are up, up, up

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Mac shipments grew by double digits in 2025
The new M5 macBook Pro helped increase Apple's share of the global PC market in 2025.
Photo: Apple

The Mac had a brilliant 2025, with shipments increasing 16.4% year over year. That’s a growth rate none of the computer’s top rivals could match.
It marks the third straight year of annual increases. And the rate could have been higher if Apple didn’t push back the launch of some much-anticipated products.

It’s official — Google Gemini will power Siri’s major AI overhaul

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It’s official — Google Gemini will power Siri’s major AI overhaul
No longer just a rumor, Google Gemini will be at the heart of Apple's AI-infused Siri.
Image: Apple/Google/Cult of Mac

Google’s Gemini AI is set to power the long-promised overhaul of Apple’s Siri voice assistant, turning months of speculation into confirmation after Apple made the partnership official in a statement released Monday.

Apple worked for years on its own large language models to provide Siri with a much-needed intelligence boost. But in the end, Cupertino had to outsource the AI technology to Google, another tech giant with which it both competes and cooperates.

Apple streaming services break records

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Apple Services: Apple Music, iCloud, Apple TV and more
A variety of Apple services did remarkably well in 2025.
Image: Apple

Apple Music and Apple TV just had their biggest month ever. That strong streaming performance added to a banner year for the collection of products that go under the heading of Apple services.

“2025 was a record-breaking year for Apple Services, marked by remarkable growth, global expansion, and continuous innovation,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, in a press release Monday.

3 big upgrades might make iPhone 17e a below-budget badass

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AI image of possible design of iPhone 17e used to illustrate a story about rumored upgrades coming to the Apple smartphone
Rumors indicate the iPhone 17e will look very much like the iPhone 17.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

A new iPhone 17e could be right around the corner, and rumors suggest Apple’s next budget model will be a sizable jump over last year’s. Expect it to dump the old screen notch as well as boast other enhancements that bring Apple’s budget handset closer to the more premium options.

In short, those looking for a bargain on a new iPhone should keep their eye out for the 17e.

Beyond the pickle: 9 new emoji coming to iPhone in 2026

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Beyond the pickle: 9 emojis coming to iPhone in 2026
When you can enough to send a pickle emoji.
Image: Emojipedia

You can soon express your true feelings by sending someone a pickle. A pickle emoji, anyway. It’s one of nine proposed new emoji that will likely come to iPhone in late 2026.

It’ll be joined by a squinting face, a new butterfly, a lighthouse and more.

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs unveils the iPhone

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Photo of Steve Jobs holding an iPhone in front of an Apple logo during the first iPhone demo on January 9, 2007.
Steve Jobs introduces the smartphone that changed smartphones.
Photo: Apple

January 9 Today in Apple history January 9, 2007: Apple CEO Steve Jobs gives the world its first look at the iPhone onstage during the Macworld conference in San Francisco. The initial reaction to that first iPhone demo is mixed. But Jobs is confident that Apple has created a product that people want — even if they don’t know it yet.

The palm-size device combines an iPod, a phone and a PDA. The iPhone unveiling excites many Apple fans but critics remain skeptical.

iPhone 4 is back: Why Gen Z embraces Apple’s retro classic

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AI image of a person holding an iPhone 4, used to illustrate a story about why Gen Z embraces Apple's retro classic handset.
Surprise! iPhone 4 is popular again, this time with Gen Z.
AI image: Gemini/Cult of Mac

If you see someone using an iPhone 4, don’t think you’re hallucinating. Members of Gen Z have dusted off the 15-year-old handset and put it back into action.

It’s part of a trend toward retro tech, so it might be time to pull your old gadgets out of storage to see if you can turn them into cash. Or maybe starting using the devices yourself, now that they are cool again.

iOS 26 still struggles to gain traction with iPhone users [Updated]

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iOS 26 still struggles to gain traction with iPhone users
It seems the typical iPhone user response to iOS 26 is, "Nope."
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

UPDATE: This article was based on incorrect data from StatCounter resulting from a change on policy by Apple.  The web analytics firm fixed the problem and now reports that iOS 26 adoption is just below average: about 53%. This article is kept only for archival purposes.
Only a tiny percentage of iPhone users have installed iOS 26, according to data from a web analytics service. The adoption rate is far less than previous iOS versions at this same point months after their releases.
The data only reveals how few iPhone users run Apple’s latest operating system upgrade, not why they’ve chosen to avoid it. But the most likely candidate is the new Liquid Glass look of the update.

Chase takes over Apple Card — here’s what it means for you

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Chase takes over Apple Card — here's what it means for you
The bank that issues Apple Card will soon change, but little will change for users of the card.
AI image: Gemini/Cult of Mac

Goldman Sachs is out as the bank behind the Apple Card. Apple announced Wednesday that Chase will become the new issuer of the credit card.

The tech giant and the bank promise that features — including up to 3% unlimited Daily Cash back on purchases — will not change, even though Goldman Sachs will no longer issue the Apple Card.

This is the most innovative iPhone game controller in years

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GameSir x Hyperkin X5 Alteron: the most innovative iPhone game controller in years
It took the talents of two companies to create an iPhone game controller this innovative.
Graphic: GameSir/Hyperkin

The GameSir x Hyperkin X5 Alteron is the world’s first fully modular mobile game controller. A variety of buttons and sticks in removable modules can be swapped in and out from either side. Plus, the device telescopes to fit around your iPhone, iPad or Android.

It offers innovation that stands out in the market for side-mounted controllers.

Lego iMac G3 clears key hurdle, moves closer to release

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Lego iMac G3
The Lego iMac G3 could someday sit on your shelf.
Photo: Lego

A proposed Lego set for Apple’s iconic iMac G3 desktop earned enough votes from the public to take the next step toward becoming a real Lego product. 

The set pays tribute to the original iMac desktop, complete with translucent Bondi Blue elements and even its famously controversial mouse.