Final Cut Pro now works with Image Playground. Photo: Apple
Big updates across Apple’s Final Cut Pro video-editing software lineup introduce AI-driven Image Playground integration, plus improved workflows and enhanced recording options.
Apple released Final Cut Pro updates Thursday that add Image Playground for Mac and iPad users. Plus, iPad users can use the software in portrait orientation for the first time.
★★★★☆
The Alogic Roam 21000mAh Power Bank keeps your gadgets going on the go. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Anyone who constantly moves around with multiple devices knows finding a reliable power bank for laptop charging can be a challenge. After more than a week of using the new Alogic Roam 21,000mAh Power Bank, I’m ready to share my hands-on experience with the premium charger. Is it worth the investment? Yes. Let’s dive in, and I’ll tell you why.
★★★★☆
The mid-range tablet is better than ever. Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The M3 iPad Air can do it all, as I found while testing Apple’s midrange tablet for this review. At its core, the thin, lightweight device proves perfect for living room reading, watching and browsing. Add the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil, and you can get some serious work done. It’s fast, powerful and remarkably capable.
I never previously owned my own personal iPad. I’ve used Windows PCs and Macs since 2002, switching to the Mac full-time in 2012. Between my Mac mini and Vision Pro, I haven’t felt the need for an iPad in my life.
Nonetheless, for this M3 iPad Air review, I went all-in, using the tablet with a Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil for as much of my work as I could to see if I was missing out. Here’s what I discovered — keep reading or watch our video review.
★★★★☆
The 2025 iPad 11 is a lot of computer for a small amount of money. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Don’t underestimate the basic iPad. As I learned while testing the iPad 11 for this review, the newly updated tablet with an Apple A16 processor is an almost shockingly good computer when one considers it costs only $349.
I put Apple’s latest low-cost tablet to the test and came away reminded that one doesn’t need an iPad Pro to be productive. Or have fun.
If you bought a new iPad, now you can enhance it. Photo: ESR
ESR rolled out a full range of accessories Wednesday designed for Apple’s newly released iPad models. The products offer enhanced functionality and protection for tablet users. The lineup, tailored for students, professionals and creatives, includes a new Apple Pencil alternative with Find My integration, magnetic cases, keyboard cases and screen protectors.
“With our latest lineup of iPad accessories, we’re reimagining versatility — delivering accessories that seamlessly integrate into any scenario, whether for study, work, or entertainment,” said Tim Wu, ESR’s CEO. “Designed for a new generation of users, this new lineup enhances the iPad experience, ensuring creativity, productivity, and enjoyment without limits.”
The first M3 iPad Air reviews are in, and it looks good. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Early reviews of the upcoming M3 iPad Air note the ho-hum nature of Apple’s update: The midrange tablet gets a speed boost thanks to a new chip and nothing else. Still, the device gets lots of compliments from reviewers.
The consensus remains that the iPad Air continues to be a worthy option for those who want more than the budget iPad but aren’t willing to pay for all the additional features of an iPad Pro.
Nevermind that rabbit's third ear. Tim Cook is a product magician! AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: There’s plenty to talk about after an absolutely magical barrage of new Apple products unveiled this week. We discuss the highlights (and lowlights) of all the new Macs and iPads.
Also on The CultCast:
What’s in the latest iOS 18.4 and visionOS 2.4 betas? Griffin gives us an overview of new features.
Erfon struggles with yet another Apple buying decision.
Griffin gives the iPhone 16e a surprise rave review.
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast 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 guide will tell you if it’s worth an upgrade. Image: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Is it worth it to buy the latest iPad 11 with an A16 chip? Apple’s latest budget tablet comes with a big boost in performance at an even lower price — and now with double the internal storage. It’s an absolutely fantastic starter tablet, and a genuine bargain.
If you have an old iPad with a Home Button, now is a great time to upgrade. Especially if you have an 8th-generation model or older. Although it doesn’t have Apple Intelligence, the iPad 11 is still a great buy.
Is it worthwhile to upgrade from a newer iPad? We have a guide below with helpful charts and a video to help you decide.
This guide will tell you if it’s worth an upgrade. Image: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Is it worth it to buy the M3 iPad Air? The new tablet is a stellar upgrade to a fine line of iPads. The M3 chip brings even more power to the mid-range offering.
If you have an older iPad Air with a Home Button, it’s time to upgrade to the new class of iPad. It can be a laptop replacement, with an attachable keyboard and trackpad, and desktop-style multitasking. For those considering a high-performance alternative, check out thisM3 iPad Pro review to compare features. Add the new Apple Pencil and it becomes an advanced drawing tablet.
Sometimes these things just disappear on you. Image: Kristin Hardwick/Wikimedia Commons/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
You can visit the App Store to download Apple apps like Music, Podcasts, Weather, Maps and Find My missing from your iPhone or iPad. If you can’t find them. It’s possible you uninstalled them and your device needs to download them again. Or they might have simply disappeared from your Home Screen, and are now hiding in the App Library.
There are also a few iPhone apps that Apple hasn’t made available on iPad. This was the case with Calculator until very recently, so you may need to install an update to get it.
I’ll walk you through all the possibilities, showing you how to get Apple’s stock apps back on your iPhone or iPad.
iPad 11 is here. But don’t go looking for Apple Intelligence. Photo: Apple
The budget iPad, one of Apple’s most popular tablets, now comes with a faster A16 processor, and the base model packs twice the storage capacity. However, for the most part, the iPad 11 — which Apple quietly released Tuesday — stays the same as its predecessor. While Apple made incremental changes to the iPad lineup, there is growing anticipation around MacBook Air rumors, suggesting a significant update is on the horizon.
And, in a surprise move, the tablet did not join the club of devices that support Apple Intelligence.
Look, up in the air! It’s a MacBook hint from Tim Cook. Photo: Apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook just dropped a very broad hint that the M4 MacBook Air is imminent, and maybe an upgraded iPad Air, too. Cook posted on X (formerly Twitter), “There’s something in the Air.”
While there’s plenty of anticipation for the launch, there won’t be much surprise. Rumors started talking about the M4 MacBook Air months ago. The same goes for the M3 iPad Air. If you’re wondering about the MacBook monitor improvements that could come with this release, here’s what we know so far.
Get ready for photo editing on the fly. Photo: Adobe
In a big development for mobile creativity, you can finally get Adobe Photoshop on iPhone. Adobe officially launched a new version of the powerful photo editing suite for iPhone Tuesday, bringing it to Apple’s most popular device.
The release comes five years after Photoshop debuted on iPad, giving iPhone photographers and digital artists access to professional-grade editing tools on the go. If you’re working on the go, having a usb c power adapter like this10-port USB-C charger can help keep your devices powered.
Keep food cool and gadgets charged on outings. And the biggest model doubles as a freezer. Photo: Anker
The new Anker Solix EverFrost 2 Electric Cooler gives iPhone users a sophisticated way to manage their outdoor adventures, Anker said Friday. The smart cooler combines advanced cooling technology with iOS app integration, offering Apple users unprecedented control over their outdoor food and beverage storage, complete with Apple device charging.
Whether watching videos or creating amazing art, find the perfect iPad at a sale price. Image: Cult of Mac
Stop procrastinating on the new iPad, iPad Pro or iPad Air you’ve been wanting. You can buy one now and save up to $200 with the iPad sales currently available.
Apple’s tablets are great whether you only want something to watch video on or are looking for a light-duty notebook. And a wide variety of models are now on sale at up to 17% off!
You don’t have to wait for an official announcement to learn about the iPad 11. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The latest iPad 11 rumors indicate Apple’s next-gen budget tablet will look quite familiar but benefit from internal upgrades. The wait for a new budget tablet from Apple now stretches well over two years, but the iPad 11 is finally drawing near.
Here’s what to look forward to from the affordable tablet expected to launch by spring.
Make a fresh start with autocorrect. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
If autocorrect repeatedly serves up ridiculous options, you can reset your iPhone keyboard to eliminate weird additions to its dictionary. This comes in handy when you find that autocorrect suddenly starts changing words it doesn’t need to change, or offering up other strange glitches.
It just takes a second to reset the keyboard dictionary on iPhone or iPad. We’ll show you how.
Install iOS 18.3.1 if you have any concern your iPhone might get hacked. Or if you just don’t want bugs. Screenshot: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
iOS 18.3.1, iPadOS 18.3.1 and more updates went out Monday. These bring bug fixes, while a security update makes them highly recommended for anyone with a compatible iPhone or iPad.
In addition, you can download macOS Sequoia 15.3.1, watchOS 11.3.1 and visionOS 2.3.1 — each with their own fixes — now as well.
Apple's operating systems give you the option to encrypt much of the data stored on iCloud. Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple offers end-to-end encryption for many more types of iCloud data than it once did. Advanced Data Protection encrypts iCloud Photos, Notes, iCloud Backup and more. But you have to activate the feature to take advantage of the data protection. It is easy … once you find the switch buried in Settings.
We can save you some time. Here’s how and why you should activate it.
Control the lamp naturally, using gestures in the air. Photo: Apple
Everybody loves Pixar’s beloved toy-lamp mascot, Luxo Jr., right? Apple just made a new lamp-like robot prototype that looks super similar. The iPhone giant’s machine learning research team developed an expressively social robotic prototype in desk-lamp form, according to a recent paper, blog post and video.
The new robot could figure into rumored plans for a robotic home hub — and it could reshape how we interact with smart home devices.
Apple M5 is ready to replace the M4. Photo: Cult of Mac
The Apple M5 processor is reportedly now in mass production in Korea, ready to improve the performance of Macs and iPads later this year.
With production already taking place, it’s possible the M5 will launch as an Apple product in the middle of the year, and not wait until autumn. As Apple continues to integrate AI capabilities into its chips, many users are looking for insights onhow to use Apple AI to enhance their workflows.
Some of Apple's impressive numbers are so large, it's hard to wrap your head around them. AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac
We went through Apple CEO Tim Cook’s earnings call with investors on Thursday, and found some genuine surprises during the discussion of the financial results of the holiday 2024 quarter. We also turned up impressive figures showing just how well the company is doing.
Financial details don’t have to be boring. Here are the high points from the call as quickly and as interesting as we can make them.
With a 40,000mAh battery and 300 watts of total charging power, CukTech 30 dominates. Photo: CukTech
For Apple users seeking a high-capacity portable power solution for all their gear, the new CukTech 30 Power Bank packs a massive 40,000mAh battery, combined charging power of up to 300 watts for up to five devices at once and some useful features, the company said Wednesday.
The new Black Unity Collection honors Black History Month, and celebrates Black culture and community. Photo: Apple
Apple unveiled its latest Black Unity Collection Monday to celebrate Black culture and community. It features an innovative Apple Watch Sport Loop and watch face that bring the Pan-African flag colors to life through groundbreaking design technology, the iPhone giant said.
And as usual, the annual release for Black History Month in February includes iPhone and iPad wallpapers in addition to the Apple Watch features.