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.
Updates to Final Cut Pro video-editing software for Mac or iPad offer new features that help streamline workflows. Image: Apple
The upcoming Final Cut Pro version 10.7 brings in improvements to timeline navigation and organization, as well as new changes that Apple says will simplify complex edits.
And Final Cut Pro for iPad 1.3 includes new features intended to enhance using the professional-grade video-editing application on a touchscreen.
Belkin put a lot of thought into the look of its new iPhone charging stand. Photo: Belkin
Belkin designed its new BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Dock for iPhone and Apple Watch to blend into its environment. The dual-device charging stand is intended top be both useful and esthetically pleasing.
Apple likes it enough to sell it in its online store.
Show you have what it takes to manage a club in Football Manager 2024 Touch. Photo: Apple
Players can create a soccer club dynasty in Football Manager 2024 Touch. The newest version of the team management simulation game from Sega & Sports Interactive challenges players to be the boss of one of the world’s best clubs.
It launched Monday on Apple Arcade, where its playable on a range of devices, including iPhone and Mac.
The 2023 iMac is intended for use in the home, not the office. Photo: Apple
Fans of all-in-one desktops are about to get the improved iMac they’ve been waiting for. The first reviews of the 2023 version are out and they’re full of praise for performance gains that that come with the new Apple M3 processor.
“The 2023 edition of the 24-inch Apple iMac is a real pleasure to use, and arguably the best all-in-one desktop when it comes to the amount and variety of tasks it can accomplish,” said the PCMag reviewer.
If a recent watchOS update cut your Apple Watch battery life, there's good news. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Many Apple Watch wearers suffered from shortened battery lives after upgrading to watchOS 10, but the problem will be taken care of soon with a software patch, according to an internal Apple document.
While not affecting everyone with an Apple Watch, this a clearly a significant problem, considering the number of complaints about it online.
Brie Larson as a frustrated scientist with a love of cooking in "Lessons in Chemistry." Photo: Apple TV+
New Apple TV+ series Lessons in Chemistry continues to be one of the top 10 most popular shows on any streaming service, according to a market analysis. The romance drama starring Brie Larson has pulled in big audiences since it debuted in October.
Season one is ongoing, with new episodes debuting every week on Apple’s streaming service.
Many people are holding onto the iPads they bought during the pandemic because Apple isn't releasing any new ones. Photo: Apple
iPad and the whole tablet market had a bad September quarter. But the slowdown in Apple’s shipments in the product category is partially self inflicted.
Nevertheless, iPad shipments are up considerably over what they were before the pandemic.
"Jane" received five Emmy nominations. Photo: Apple TV+
Parents should take note that Apple TV+ series or specials received over two dozen nominations for this year’s Children’s & Family Emmy Awards.
Jane, Best Foot Forward, Helpsters, Slumberkins, Ghostwriter, Snoopy Presents: Lucy’s School and Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock all landed nominations for top awards.
★★★★☆
Zagg's new iPad stylus is just right for students and businesspeople. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Zagg Pro Stylus 2 is ready to help you take handwritten notes on an iPad and sketch out your ideas, too. Or you can use it on your iPhone — don’t try that with Apple Pencil.
It wirelessly charges on the edge of an Apple tablet, and that’s just one of the tricks it can do.
I tested the Pro Stylus 2 with my iPad Pro and iPhone 15 and came away pleased.
An AI-generated image of Tim Cook is appropriate for an AI-related article. Image: Canva
Apple’s CEO made the clearest statement yet about his company’s plans for generative AI. Tim Cook said Thursday that “we have work going on.” And he made additional comments, too.
The executive also promised that Apple’s efforts on artificial intelligence are being carried out responsibly.
Wall Street isn't happy right now, but Apple sees good days ahead. Image: Cult of Mac, based on photos by Aaron Burden and Sumudu Mohottige/Unsplash License
Apple stock price dropped over 3% after it announced the results of its most recent financial quarter. But there’s good news mixed with the bad, and that shouldn’t be ignored. CEO Tim Cook and other executives stayed upbeat in a call with investors on Thursday, talking up strong iPhone sales, why Tim loves Apple silicon and more.
Here are the reasons for optimism we found in Apple’s quarterly financial results and call.
There's good news about iPhone, but less so for Mac. Photo: Cult of Mac
The question on whether the iPhone 15 is off to a strong start has been answered. Apple just revealed that iOS handsets brought in more revenue in its most recent financial quarter than ever before.
“Today Apple is pleased to report a September quarter revenue record for iPhone and an all-time revenue record in Services,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.
The new version of AirPods Pro 2 leaves Lightning behind in favor of USB-C. And it's on sale! Photo: Apple
A crazy good deal on the new AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C case lets you save $60 off the retail price. And this despite the wireless earbuds being on the market for just over a month.
Apple’s new top-of-the-line wireless earbuds take advantage of all the latest new bells and whistles in iOS 17. Plus, they bring additional new features besides the port change, including additional dust resistance and the promise of high-res audio when paired with Apple Vision Pro.
Be ready for Apple to reveal on Thursday how much it took in during the July-through-September period. Photo: Anna
Nekrashevich/Pexels
When Apple reports the results of its most recent financial quarter later on Thursday, look for Mac and iPad to be a drag on the company’s revenue. Still, analysts are upbeat about the company’s earnings.
Investors will also be watching closely, especially considering AAPL shares are down 9% since the company last reported financial results in August.
Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan star in The Family Plan. Image: Apple TV+
In The Family Plan, Mark Wahlberg plays a father with a small secret: he used to be an assassin. His past comes back to haunt him — and his family — in a film that debuts on Apple TV+ in mid December.
With that premise, it could be a gripping drama, but the flick will be an action-comedy instead.
Whether you can get your hands on the latest MacBook Pro with M3 chip on launch day depends on which configuration you want. Photo: Apple
Preorder some heavily loaded configurations of the newly announced M3 MacBook Pro models and you’ll be waiting until later in November to receive them. But Apple still has plenty of other configurations ready to go on launch day.
The same is true for the new M3-powered iMac — load it up and the result is a somewhat longer wait.
There are plenty of upcoming games and recent additions to Apple Arcade. Image: Apple
Disney Dreamlight Valley Arcade Edition, Football Manager 2024 Touch, Sonic Dream Team and Puzzle & Dragons Story are among the eight games on the way to Apple Arcade in November and December. They’ll join the 200+ already on the service.
In addition, more than 50 of the already available games will get content updates.
With the latest iPhones dropping the Lightning port in favor of USB-C, there was speculation (and hope) that Apple would release new versions of the Magic Mouse, Trackpad and Keyboard that also reject the Lightning port. Nope.
So charging these wireless devices still requires a Lightning cable.
Apple unveiled the M3 and didn't make Mac users wait for the M3 Pro and M3 Max. Image: Apple
Apple broke with tradition and unveiled the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max processors all at once on Monday, rather than stringing the releases out. The performance cores in the new chips are up to 30% faster than M1, and the efficiency cores are up to 50% faster.
“Apple silicon has completely redefined the Mac experience. Every aspect of its architecture is designed for performance and power efficiency,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s SVP of Hardware Technologies. “With 3-nanometer technology, a next-generation GPU architecture, a higher-performance CPU, faster Neural Engine, and support for even more unified memory, M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max are the most advanced chips ever built for a personal computer.”
"The Enfield Poltergeist" is an eerie way to spend a Halloween-ish evening. Image: Apple
The Apple TV+ documentary The Enfield Poltergeist goes in-depth on “the most famous poltergeist haunting in history.” The events inspired The Conjuring 2 and are creepy Halloween fun, though unlikely to convince anyone that ghosts are real.
I suspended my disbelief for a few hours and enjoyed the show for what it is.
You don't need a console to play Resident Evil Village, just an iPhone 15 Pro or a recent high-end or mid-range iPad. Photo: Capcom
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max owners can start playing the console-quality version of Resident Evil Village. The survival horror game hit the App Store just in time for Halloween.
It can also be played on iPads with high-end processors.
The Apple M3 series of processors will be scary fast. Photo: Apple
UPDATE: The “Scary Fast” event has come and gone, and it brought the fresh MacBook Pro models and the iMac — all powered with a new M3 processor — that leaks predicted. Check out Cult of Mac‘s full coverage for more details.
Apple fans are getting a treat this Halloween: an event that’ll bring the M3 processor and a range of new Macs to run it.
Here’s everything we’re expecting at Monday’s event, including an iMac and MacBooks, with some accessories thrown in.
Here are the best games with the unquiet dead available on Apple Arcade for your Halloween enjoyment. Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Halloween is almost here, making this a great weekend to play some spooky games. Apple Arcade has a nice selection of these to help you enjoy the creepy season.
Here are the best options in Apple’s gaming service to find ghosts, ghouls and goblins.
iPhone 13 runs longer on iOS 17.1 than other recent versions. Photo: ChargerLAB
The most-recent iOS update increases the battery life of several older iPhone models, according to tests on a range of devices. And it’s a jump for almost every model tested over the first iOS 17 version.
Add a 13-inch touchscreen, keyboard and trackpad to your iPhone with NexDock. Photo: Nex
NexDock and the infiniteX2P app are designed to turn an iPhone 15 into a laptop. Connect Apple’s latest to the touchscreen/keyboard/mouse and run the app to start multitasking on a 13-inch display.
The USB-C port in the iPhone 15 makes this combination possible.