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.
mophie's latest is both a power bank and a portable stand for your iPhone. Photo: mophie/Zagg
The mophie snap+ juice pack mini with stand is more than a MagSafe-compatible power bank. Its built-in kickstand means it can also prop up your iPhone while it’s charging for FaceTime calls or watching videos.
It’s the latest addition to a sizable collection of chargers and stands from mophie.
iOS 17.1 is about a week away. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple gave developers access to the release candidates of iOS 17.1 and macOS 14.1 on Tuesday. This is the last round of testing before introducing them to the public.
Release candidates for iPadOS 17.1, watchOS 10.1 and tvOS 17.1 also went out.
You iPhone and AirPods can have some Hallowe'en fun, too. Photo: Casetify
Hallowe’en is right around the corner, and to celebrate Casetify launched a collection of iPhone cases
featuring Disney villains. And there are accessories for AirPods and Apple Watch, too.
More of a Rick and Morty fan? Casetify has an array of iPhone, MacBook, etc. options for you, too.
Apple Pencil (USB-C) with iPad is the lowest-cost stylus made by Apple. Photo: Apple
Apple just took the wraps off a lower-price version of its iPad stylus. The new Apple Pencil uses a USB-C port for charging so it’s a better fit for use with the budget iPad.
“Apple Pencil has revolutionized note taking, sketching, and illustrating, unleashing endless possibilities for productivity and creativity,” said Bob Borchers, Apple VP of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Combined with the versatility of iPad, the new Apple Pencil unlocks another great option to experience the magic of digital handwriting, annotation, marking up documents, and more.”
The new version is $50 less than Apple Pencil 2, the premium model. But it lacks some of the features of the top-of-the-line version.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max Bill of Materials is higher than for previous models. Photo: iFixit
The cost of the components that go into the iPhone 15 Pro Max is up significantly when compared to its predecessor, according to an analysis of the various parts that make up Apple’s latest smartphone.
The change helps justify the jump in price for this model.
Tiffany Haddish led an ensemble cast in "The Afterparty," which won't be coming back to Apple TV+. Photo: Chris Miller
The Apple TV+ series The Afterparty has reportedly been cancelled after two seasons. The genre-mixing comedy starring Tiffany Haddish won’t get a third season.
Fans can still hope the show will move to another streaming service, though.
Apple Card is great for card holders -- not so much for Goldman Sachs. Photo: Apple
Being the bank backing the Apple Card isn’t going well for Goldman Sachs, and it’s proposed a change that’s it thinks would make the job easier: stop billing every customer at the beginning of the month.
But some bank executives say the whole deal with Apple is untenable. “We should have never done this f—ing thing,” a Goldman partner is quoted as saying by the Wall Street Journal.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters stomps onto Apple TV+ in November. Photo: Apple TV+
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters premieres in November, and Apple TV+ released the full trailer for the series set in the MonsterVerse that contains Godzilla and other classic kaiju.
It’s a must-see for anyone who enjoyed the series of hit movies also set in the same universe.
iOS 17.1 will be here before November. Image: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac
We now know the last possible day Apple will release iOS 17.1: Wednesday, October 24.
That is the date by which the iPhone-maker committed to introducing an update that reduces the amount of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the iPhone 12, as required by a French regulatory agency. And that update is part of iOS 17.1.
Very popular series grew the Apple TV+ audience this year. Photo: Apple
Apple TV+ now has 7% of the U.S. streaming market, according to a company that follows the industry. That’s more than double the measly 3% the service had two years ago.
At the top of streaming market are Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.
Broadcom Wi-Fi modems were at the center of a lengthy lawsuit that's finally been settled. Photo: Florian Knodt/Flickr
The California Institute of Technology got what it wanted out of a years-long patent-infringement lawsuit against Broadcom and (peripherally) Apple. Caltech filed paperwork in a California court dismissing its case.
It’s not clear at this point whether or how much Broadcom and Apple paid the university as part of a settlement. It could be hundreds of millions, though.
The Qualcomm X75 modem will almost certainly appear in the iPhone 16 Pro and add support for 5G Advanced. Image: Qualcomm
The Qualcomm X75 modem unveiled in February will be part of the iPhone 16 Pro models when they launch in 2024, according to an industry analyst. It’s the first from the modem-maker to support the speedy 5G Advanced standard.
But the cutting-edge chip supposedly won’t be included in Apple’s more affordable non-Pro handsets.
★★★★☆
PNY offers the cross-platform flash drive your iPhone needs. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Feeling jealous that iPhone 15 users can plug a thumb drive directly into their phone? Then you need the PNY Duo Link iOS USB 3.2 Dual Flash Drive. It has both a Lightning connector and USB-A connector, which makes it compatible with iPhone, iPad and Mac. Windows, too.
With it, you can copy images or other files between devices. Or backup your iPhone when you’re on the go.
I put PNY’s drive through its paces. Here’s what I found out.
Google pays big to be an important part of using an iPhone. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Being the default search engine in the Safari web browser is apparently worth an enormous amount of money. Google reportedly pays Apple between $18 billion and $20 each year for the privilege.
But the payments might come to an end as a result of the antitrust accusations the Department of Justice brought against the search giant.
iOS 16.7.1 kills a nasty security bug. Photo: Cult of Mac/Egor Kamelev/Pexels
iOS 16.7.1 launched on Tuesday to deal with a serious security problem in the older version of Apple’s iPhone operating system. It’s for iPhone users who haven’t yet made the jump to iOS 17.
★★★★★
Moft Snap Phone Tripod Stand does a better job of bringing an iPhone to eye level than any rival I've seen. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Anyone who watches video on their iPhone can see the advantage of a portable stand. The Moft Snap Phone Tripod Stand does more than prop up the screen — it lifts your handset up 4.5 inches so the screen is closer to eye level.
It’s not bulky at all, and it magnetically attaches to the iPhone so it can be carried anywhere.
I tested the stand out for myself. Here’s why I love it.
The real message: Samsung wants more iPhone users to switch to Android. Screenshot: Samsung
Samsung used a short video to join Google in urging Apple to add support for Rich Communication Services to iMessage, which would end the blue bubble vs. green bubble divide.
The reason for their campaign is obvious: if Apple made the change, people would be more likely to switch from iPhone to Samsung’s Androids.
This 17.6-inch touchscreen and stand are ready to travel with your MacBook. Photo: espresso Displays
The Espresso 17 Pro answers the demand for a high-end portable monitor for MacBooks. It sports a 17.3-inch display at a 4K resolution, but it comes in a sleek package ready for on-the-go use. (Update: For a detailed Espresso 17 Pro review, check out our in-depth analysis of its features and performance.)
Beyond increasing the user’s workspace, the display includes a touchscreen for digital artists looking to add this capability to their Mac.
Make your iPad into a screen for any device that supports HDMI output with Lux Orion and an adapter. Photo: Lux
You can make your iPad into an external screen for your Mac, a Nintendo Switch, a camera or another device. All you need is the free Lux Orion application and a relatively cheap adapter.
Lux, the maker of the brilliant Halide camera application, made Orion just for fun. But it’s very useful, too.