Lewis Wallace

Apple Music Hall, a new state‑of‑the‑art live music venue in London, will provide high-end experiences for audiences and performers alike. With a wild array of technology built into the 600-seat performance space, it will let musicians perform in Spatial Audio in an intimate space — and capture their shows with multicamera video and high-end audio.

“We care deeply about music, the artists who make it, and their life stories,” said Zane Lowe, Apple Music’s global creative director, in a press release Tuesday. “We’re always looking for new opportunities to connect the artists and the fans because we are fans. What better way to celebrate this relationship than a new music venue where we get to experience amazing music in an amazing space and share it with the world. Great music and memories will be made at Apple Music Hall.”

The first photos of Apple Music Hall reveal a venue that looks typically gorgeous. And Cupertino said it plans to livestream shows from Apple Music Hall so fans around the world can enjoy them.

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: The iPhone 18 Pro is here, and the iPhone Duo is on the way, but Apple’s far from finished releasing new hardware this year.

There’s plenty of new stuff coming down the pike, and we’re especially excited about a pair of long-rumored additions to the Apple lineup.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

• We reveal our favorite iOS 27 features.
• There are several solid reasons to hang onto your iPhone 17 Pro rather than upgrading to iPhone 18 Pro. It’s kinda depressing, TBH.
• And finally, the prospect of a user-repairable iPhone Duo seems incredibly slim.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video version, embedded below.

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: Apple’s Surprise and Shine event is in the books! The iPhone Duo is real, and it definitely folds. New Apple CEO John Ternus didn’t, though. He acquitted himself admirably as he briefly uncapped Apple’s magic product pipeline.

We discuss how things went down and our reactions to iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

• How does iPhone 18 Pro stack up against iPhone 17 Pro? The new variable-aperture camera sounds impressive, but seriously … how much better do your iPhone pix need to be? And how much are you willing to spend for slightly better snapshots?
• The new Apple Watch models come with a powerful new chip that enables a pair of controversial features: Live Rewind and Siri Recap. Both involve the Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4 quietly listening in the background at all times. And that stirs real privacy concerns.
• Another pair of Apple Watch 12 and Ultra 4 features — your readiness score and Health Age — raise a different kind of question. Namely, just how scientific and useful are they?
• We wrap up the show with a show of hands: Who’s getting what new Apple products? The subject proves dicier than usual.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video version, embedded below.

Apple kicked off its Surprise and Shine event Wednesday with a cinematic passing of the torch as former CEO Tim Cook introduced his successor, John Ternus.

Ternus then praised the company’s crown jewel — the iPhone, which he called an “intelligent personal hub” superpowered by artificial intelligence — before unveiling a slew of new products, including the first folding iPhone, known as the iPhone Duo.

Other new and upgraded products included the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5. Plus, various Apple execs also showcased new software features coming soon in iOS 27 and the company’s other software platforms.

“iPhone sits at the center of an amazing ecosystem of intelligent features and experiences that work seamlessly across the products you use every day,” Ternus said, before name-checking the new AI-powered Siri and advanced features in the new Apple Watch and AirPods.

“Simply put, iPhone brings powerful AI capabilities together with your personal context on the device you have with you all the time,” Ternus continued. “So today, we’re going to take these experiences even further with the next generation of iPhone.”

• See also: This is when iOS 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate arrive

When Apple released the cosmic orange iPhone 17 Pro last year, it did the unthinkable: It made the color orange both cool and commonplace.

Since then, a growing number of tech companies have embraced orange, producing a wide range of iPhone accessories and other gear in the surprisingly bold color. Now, the only question is, can Apple do it again … this time with dark cherry?

Even before Apple’s expected unveiling of the iPhone 18 Pro lineup during tomorrow’s Surprise and Shine event, it looks like the company might have another hit color on its hands.

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: New Apple CEO John Ternus steps into his role with a wealth of hardware experience and a supremely promising product pipeline. And he’ll lead his first Apple event next week.

What will he hit us with during the Surprise and Shine event? And how will he change Apple going forward? There’s lots to ponder.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

• Will the iPhone 18 Pro upgrades be big enough to lure us into upgrading? It looks increasingly unlikely.
• Rumors indicate the first folding iPhone won’t get a certain accessory that practically nobody wanted, but will get a feature that almost everybody loves. So that’s a win.
• What to expect from the next Apple Watch models, which should arrive next week as well.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video version, embedded below.

Popular Apple accessories maker Anker Innovations will open its first standalone store this week and pull its five category-based sub-brands under a single banner: Anker.

The idea is to simplify Anker’s product branding and take control of the company’s in-store marketing. It reminds me of what Apple did after Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997.

“Category brands made sense when categories were separate. They no longer are,” said Steven Yang, founder and CEO of Anker Innovations, in a press release Thursday. Instead, Anker will simply things into “one brand, one promise — Ultimate Innovation, now unified across everything we make.”

The first Anker store will open this week in Berlin, not coincidentally the city that hosts the annual IFA tech conference where Anker and others will showcase their latest wares.

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: Apple sent out invites for its Surprise and Shine event this week, and the big question is, will there actually be any surprises on September 9?

The invite itself doesn’t reveal much, naturally. And a crazy deluge of rumors and leaks already painted a pretty thorough picture of what to expect from the iPhone 18 Pro, the first folding iPhone and more.

Still, it’ll be incoming Apple CEO John Ternus‘ first time running an event, and surely he’ll want to make it special. We discuss how he might make the event shine.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

• This week’s rollout of new Mac mini and Mac Studio models gets us wondering if it’s time to upgrade.
• Apple’s new M6 chip sounds pretty amazing, but what about the M5 Pro?
• And finally, Leander shares a tip that will make charging your AirPods easier.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video version, embedded below.

Want to add Touch ID to your Mac without giving up your favorite keyboard? A DIY Touch ID project called the Dashboard Touch shows how you can build your own fingerprint sensor for less than $35.

It’s not as secure as Apple’s own implementation, but Anil Dash’s new DIY Touch ID hack should be safe enough for most users.

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: The Apple leaks are getting out of hand! Code in the macOS 26.7 release candidate spills the beans on tons of unreleased Apple products, and that’s just the start.

Tim Cook must be fuming — unless it’s the world’s craziest marketing campaign!

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

• How the AirPods with cameras will work (and when to expect them).
• Apple’s rumored home hub will wow us with widgets.
• One more reason not to buy the iPhone 18 Pro: a lack of feature parity with the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Boo! Hiss!
• And finally, Graham gives us an update on the race to get Reps & Sets, his strength-training app, pumped up for iOS 27. Developers face this unwelcome task every year, but AI’s making it easier.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video version, embedded below and also available on our YouTube channel.

Fresh leaks apparently revealed practically everything there is to know about Beats 360 headphones. The as-yet-unannounced headphones feature a fresh new look, with rounder ear cups than previous Beats models and a customization option that sounds both colorful and cool.

The noise-canceling headphones — which Apple looks set to pitch as great for workouts, thanks to sweat- and water-resistance — appeared briefly on various online retailers’ sites Wednesday. Multiple Reddit users spotted them before they disappeared.

People often accuse Google of stealing from Apple, but here’s something Apple should pinch from its rival ASAP.

The new Pixel Watch 5, unveiled Wednesday at the annual Made by Google event, comes with a new feature that can predict insulin resistance, a precursor to Type 2 diabetes. If flagged early, insulin resistance can often be reversed with lifestyle changes.

“A first-of-its-kind feature on Pixel and Fitbit wearables, Insulin Resistance Trends analyzes multi-week physiological data to track shifts in your metabolic health without requiring a single drop of blood,” Google said in a press release Wednesday.

It’s not the sort of full-blown blood sugar monitor Apple has been trying to build into the Apple Watch for years. However, Pixel Watch’s Insulin Resistance Trends feature could spot changes in the health of someone wearing the device in time for them to take action. And that could keep them from a potentially deadly diabetes diagnosis.

Apple posted yet another round of astonishing numbers when it revealed its latest quarterly earnings Thursday. Many of the numbers are so massive as to be practically inconceivable, but they provide a fascinating insight into the size — and the unbridled success — of Apple’s business.

In what will be his last earnings call, outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook said the impressive numbers flow naturally from following Apple’s core values.

“Throughout all of it, we will remain guided by our North Star, building the best products and services to enable people to do magical things,” Cook said during Thursday’s call. “It’s a special privilege to be part of people’s lives in lasting and meaningful ways, helping them to create, connect, and experience the world around them.”

And it doesn’t hurt if you can generate enormous amounts of money as a result. Take a look at these Apple stats.

Apple Music just became a bit pricier. Apple raised the streaming service’s monthly rate across all subscription tiers on Friday, citing the increasing cost of licensing artists’ music.

The company also jacked up the price of most Apple One bundles, which package Apple Music with subscriptions to other Apple services.

Major League Soccer returns to Apple TV on Thursday with the resumption of regular-season play after a break for FIFA World Cup insanity. That’s great news for soccer fans new and old.

If you got hooked on the sport after watching World Cup matches during Major League Soccer’s monthlong break, tune into Apple TV for your fix. You should see some familiar faces on the field.

OpenAI’s probable first device will likely be a portable smart speaker with a winning personality and features that make it seem like a living creature. The company envisions a screenless device that will “serve as a humanlike AI companion that lives in the home,” according to a new report citing anonymous sources.

While previous rumors indicated OpenAI wants to build a device to challenge the iPhone, this sounds like more of a threat to Apple’s HomePod, Amazon’s Alexa devices and other smart speakers.

Oh, and the thing might actually move to make it seem more lifelike. (Let’s hope it doesn’t give off an Existenz game pod vibe.)

Apple released the first iOS 27 public beta Monday, giving everyday iPhone users a chance to experience the latest features.

By most accounts, it’s stable enough to download now and run without too much worry. The biggest bummer is that you’ll still need to get in line to experience the new, improved Siri AI.

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: After more than a week spent hands-on with the first iOS 27 developer beta, Griffin and Leander give us a status update on what works and what really, really doesn’t.

The good news is, Siri AI seems legitimately useful. The bad news is that the betas are a little rough around the edges. (After all, betas gonna beta.) Still, there’s plenty to talk about as we go over the best new features.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

• Some leaked iOS 27 features that never happened might still be on the way. It’s all part of Apple’s secret plan to sell us new hardware this fall.
• Speaking of new hardware, it sounds like 2027 is going to be an absolute doozy for Apple.
• And finally, the inside story of the latest Cult of Mac hack.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: For once, Siri doesn’t leave us exasperated! After a week of WWDC26 surprises, we’re genuinely stoked about the promise of Siri AI.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

• The good news doesn’t stop with Siri. Loads of new Apple Intelligence features look useful and thoughtfully implemented.
• Apple faces off against the European Union, and it looks like EU iPhone and iPad users will pay the price.
• We talk about the new features coming in iOS 27, macOS 27 and watchOS 27.
• And finally we wrap up with the results of our WWDC26 predictions game.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

June 12, 2005: Apple CEO Steve Jobs delivers a brilliant commencement speech to graduating students at Stanford University.

Packed with incredible insights, the motivational speech includes many memorable lines that capture the essence of Jobs’ incredible life — and provide a template for success through following your passions. And he does it all in less than 15 minutes.

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: As per tradition, we match wits with our predictions about what we’ll see at Apple’s WWDC26 keynote. Griffin and I are joined by two special guests, Charlie Sorrel and Graham Bower, for this year’s installment of the WWDC prediction game.

What will the new Siri do? Will Apple unveil new hardware? And who, exactly, will get how much screen time?

We chisel our answers into digital stone on 10 tricky questions (which also serve as a jumping-off point to discuss Apple’s future and strategies). And, as always, you can play along! Just be sure to submit your answers (via this Google Docs form) before Monday’s WWDC26 keynote.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

• The “dark cherry” color rumored for iPhone 18 Pro looks pretty funky, if the latest dummy models can be trusted. Some of us love it, some not so much.
• With the first folding iPhone on the way, iOS 27 seems primed for true multitasking.
• Apple’s smart glasses reportedly got delayed again. Will they be worth the wait?
• And finally, Graham discusses what it’s like being an extremely late adopter of Apple’s Vision Pro headset.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: The new Ferrari Luce is a $540,000 electric vehicle that’s the closest thing to an Apple car we’re ever going to see. That’s no surprise, considering the key role ex-Apple design chief Jony Ive played in crafting the EV.

We discuss the good, the bad and the laughable about the car (and fantasize about sliding behind the wheel).

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

• A last-minute bombshell gives us an awfully good look at what the new AI-powered Siri — and the rest of iOS 27 — will look like. It’s filled with major spoilers for the WWDC26 keynote, which is coming on June 8. Tim Cook must be seething!
• A long-overdue tweak in iOS 27 should make it easier to use AirPods‘ advanced features. We’re thrilled. But will the changes go far enough?
• And finally, special guest Christina Warren returns to join in on all the fun. Plus, she gives us an update on what’s going on at GitHub amid the AI frenzy.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video version, embedded below.

On the latest episode of the Cult of Mac podcast: Apple might go back to the iPhone future, thanks to some metallurgical magic that involves a special titanium alloy.

We discuss the pros, the cons and the possible timeline for such a retro upgrade.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

• Another recent Apple rumor also sounds like a bit of a flashback: The Apple Watch Ultra 4 might get high-blood-pressure alerts. Um, doesn’t it already do that? Yes, but …
• As per tradition, Apple reveals new accessibility features coming in the next version of iOS. And, as always, they sound pretty incredible.
• Special guest Niléane shows off TinyStart, a “tiny launcher for macOS,
fast and focused on the essentials.”

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video version, embedded below.

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: A fresh iOS 27 rumor says the iPhone’s Camera app will get a serious upgrade. And it sounds like the best of both worlds — heavy customization if you want it, status quo if you don’t.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

• We also discuss the big changes coming to Siri in the near future (and why it’s a make-or-break moment for Apple AI).
• Griffin walks Leander through a radical makeover of his iPhone‘s Home Screen.
• Apple Watch Series 12 might be the upgrade you’ve been waiting for. And the lack of a rumored feature might be a big positive
• Finally, Griffin reviews a very peculiar piece of exercise equipment.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video version embedded below.

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: We’ve been complaining about just how stupid Siri can be for years, but Apple’s failure to deliver a promised AI upgrade just cost the company a cool $250 million.

We discuss how you can get your sliver of that payout, whether a stupid Siri is a deal-breaker (obviously not, since we all swear by our iPhones), and how Apple can really make things right.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

• The MacBook Neo is so popular that Apple totally missed the boat on its projections. Now the company is making an unusual move — and it might mean the budget laptop goes up in price.
• If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to buy a Mac, it’s here.
• After getting banged up for its lack of savvy when it comes to artificial intelligence, Apple looks ready to win the AI wars, thanks to its brilliant strategy.
• And finally, Griffin goes over the pros and cons of an affordable home rowing machine. Come for the review, stay for the extremely weird Ohio hallway.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video version, embedded below.