Mobile menu toggle

Mac - page 19

Mac shipments grew in 2022 while PC tanked

By

M2 MacBook Air review roundup: The fast and the beauteous
A redesigned MacBook Air surely helped push up 2022 Mac shipments.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s shipments of Mac desktops and notebooks grew modestly in 2022, according to market research firm. That’s in stark contrast to shipments of PCs that dropped enormously last year.

And Apple could have done even better if it hadn’t pushed back the release of new Macs past the fourth quarter.

New Apple headset leaks make our heads explode [The CultCast]

By

A manipulated image of a person wearing a virtual reality headset, used to illustrate the contents of The CultCast, our weekly Apple podcast.
Are we the only ones standing around with slack jaws wondering how Apple can make this headset desirable?
Photo: Original photo: Uriel Soberanes/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The more we hear about Apple’s upcoming AR/VR headset, the more we’re perplexed about who is actually going to buy one. We take a long, hard look at the latest leaks — and come up shaking our heads.

Also on The CultCast:

  • We might get a raft of exciting new Macs — including the first Mac Pro powered by Apple silicon — at a March event.
  • Apple’s Pro Display XDR and Studio Display get some high-end competition.
  • Sorry, voice actors. AI narrators look like the future of audiobooks (and Apple leads the charge).
  • Our final best-of-2022 picks.

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.

Our sponsor: Squarespace

Squarespace gives you all the tools you need to set up your very own website and commence selling anything online. Start your free website trial today at squarespace.com/cultcast (no credit card required). Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain with code cultcast at checkout.

Get organized with advanced new features in Notes and Reminders

By

Get yourself organized in there!
Get yourselves organized in Notes and Reminders using these advanced features.
Image: Fredericknoronha/Wikimedia Commons and D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Notes and Reminders, two stock apps that come with every iPhone, iPad and Mac, can do so much more than write shopping lists and apologies on Twitter.

With tagging, you can quickly filter and search through a big folder of notes or a long to-do list. You can easily put together a bunch of filters by date, location and tag to create a smart list of everything that needs your attention in Reminders. You can even set up template Reminders lists that you can copy at any time.

Let me show you how to set it all up.

What to expect from Apple in 2023, plus our best of 2022 picks [The CultCast]

By

This year was good for Apple, but 2023 looks even better!
This year was good for Apple, but 2023 looks even better!
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: We’re talking about all the Apple gear we’re certain will arrive in 2023 — and some we just hope will materialize.

Also on The CultCast:

  • An Apple Watch Ultra clone for less than $50?!?
  • More on Apple’s penny-penching strategy of skimping on cloud storage by serving up lower-resolution files.
  • Our picks for best of 2022 — part two!

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.

Our sponsor: Rocket Money

Rocket Money shows you all your subscriptions all in one place, and then cancels whatever you don’t want with a single click!  Cancel your unnecessary subscriptions right now at rocketmoney.com/cultcast.

As 3nm processors go into production, Apple’s chipmaker looks ahead to 2nm

By

TSMC 7nm processor
Apple chips keep shrinking, which makes them more efficient.
Photo: TSMC

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company began cranking out chips using its new 3nm process Thursday at its Tainan plant. But, never one to rest on its laurels, TSMC is already laying the groundwork for 2nm processors.

Apple is expected to be among the first companies to benefit from the cutting-edge chips, which will be faster while requiring less power.

How to stop unwanted app launches on Mac startup

By

If starting up your Mac launches a plethora of windows you don't need or want, you may want to try our tips.
If starting up your Mac launches a plethora of windows you don't need or want, you may want to try our tips.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Years ago I was a regular Mac user who switched to PC for a long time. When I fully re-immersed myself in the Apple ecosystem, an old annoyance came right back — all those unwanted apps launching for no apparent reason on startup, slowing things down.

Like many folks, I don’t restart my Mac very often these days because Sleep mode has its benefits. So having to close a bunch of apps is not a massive annoyance. But for anyone who wants a fix, there are easy ways to disable startup items.

And if those don’t work, you can try a couple of tricks to get rid of hidden launch agents.

Production of 3nm processors finally starts at Apple’s chipmaker

By

Apple might get cutting-edge 3nm processors in 2022
Apple will reportedly be one of the first companies in the world able to offer processors made with a 3nm process.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

3 nanometer chip production is about to begin at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. This is important news for Apple, as TSMC makes the CPUs for Mac, iPhone, iPad, etc.

Apple is expected to use 3nm processors in products launching in 2023, making the devices faster and more efficient.

M1 Max MacBook drives classic Cinema Display [Setups]

By

Setups 17parkc-Reddit Dec 21 2022

At Cult of Mac we love retro Apple gear. Today’s featured setup pairs a powerful new M1 Max MacBook with a beautiful old Cinema Display plus the iconic Harman Kardon SoundSticks speaker system.

And if you love the old Cinema Displays but worry their resolution won’t cut it nowadays, read on.

Leaked 2023 MacBook Pro benchmarks show it’ll support much more RAM

By

What we're expecting from 2022 MacBook Pro with M2 Pro or M2 Max
New evidence points to the Apple M2 Max supporting much more RAM than its predecessor.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Very early benchmark scores for what is apparently the 2023 MacBook Pro show buyers will be able to configure the laptop with much more RAM. And new details on the M2 Max processor were revealed, too.

The performance scores show a modest 14% increase over the 2021 version, but benchmark scores months before the release of any computer are of limited use.

These Black Friday deals on Apple gear are still going strong [Updated]

By

Best Black Friday deals on MacBooks, AirPods, and iPads
These are the best Black Friday Apple deals you need to check out.
Photo: Rajesh

Black Friday 2022 is now one for the record books, but you can still take advantage of hefty discounts on Apple products.

So, if you have been looking to buy a Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods or other Apple products for a while, take advantage of the best Black Friday deals on Apple gear right now. Just bear in mind that these deals can be slippery as an eel. If you see one you like, jump on it ASAP, because there’s no guarantee it will last.

Apple’s special campaign offers businesses steep discounts on 2021 MacBook Pros

By

2021 MacBook Pro with M1 Pro, M1 Max
Businesses are getting up to 10% off on the 2021 MacBooks Pros from Apple.
Photo: Apple

Ahead of the holiday season, Apple is providing up to 10% discounts to businesses on 2021 MacBook Pro models. The offer is only applicable on bulk orders.

Apple rarely provides such deep discounts to companies, especially in the lucrative holiday quarter.

Apple wants to shorten ‘Hey Siri’ trigger phrase to simply ‘Siri’

By

Siri
Siri could become easier to summon in the future.
Photo: Apple

Apple is working on changing the “Hey Siri” hotword to just plain “Siri,” and the change could roll out as early as next year.

Introduced in 2015 with the iPhone 6s, the “Hey Siri” hotword remains unchanged to this day. You also can use the phrase to invoke Apple’s voice assistant on the Mac, iPad, HomePod and Apple Watch.

New Mac app lets you search everything you’ve ever seen or heard

By

Rewind: Find anything you’ve seen, said, or heard.
Rewind: Find anything you’ve seen, said, or heard.
Image: Rewind AI, Inc.

Rewind is a Mac app coming soon that promises to create a searchable, rewindable index of everything you read online, write in conversation, work on or even say in meetings.

We’ve all had this happen: you remember seeing something that you want to share, but you don’t remember where you saw it nor enough details to find it on the internet. Rewind promises to make everything that you’ve “seen, said or heard” searchable.

Here are the Macs that Apple didn’t announce today … but might come soon

By

The Mac lineup has never looked better.
The Mac was neglected today, but there's still some exciting stuff in the works.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s “Take Note” product blitz on Tuesday did not include any Mac news. Instead, iPad stole the spotlight: a new iPad Pro with M2, a new entry-level iPad that isn’t actually priced at the entry level, a new Magic Keyboard Folio and yet another lease on life for the original Apple Pencil (now with a dongle!). A surprise entry is a new Apple TV 4K at a lower price with a USB-C Siri Remote.

But according to Bloomberg, new Macs are “highly likely to launch before the calendar turns into 2023.” What can we expect soon — and what’s on the roadmap?

Apple video explains how to use Time Machine to back up your Mac

By

Apple video explains how to use Time Machine to backup your Mac
A "how to" makes the process of setting up Time Machine to backup your Mac less intimidating.
Image: Apple

Your Mac can automatically make copies of your files with Time Machine, software built into macOS. A new video walks anyone unfamiliar with the feature through the setup process.

Using Time Machine is highly recommended. Macs don’t fail often, but when they do it can be a disaster for the user if they don’t have backups of their important files.

Bring your 2010 Mac back to life with Chrome OS Flex

By

Chrome OS Flex turns 2009 MacBook into a useful computer again
Transform your old Mac into a Chromebook with Chrome OS Flex
Photo: Google

Google’s Chrome OS Flex is now ready to revive Macs that are too elderly to run the latest macOS version. That includes models as far back as 2010. It turns the Mac into a Chromebook, but at least it’s an up-to-date one.

The free OS is targeted at businesses and schools, but it might become a way for individuals to bring some new life to their obsolete Macs.

Why you’d be crazy to buy the new MacBook Pro [The CultCast]

By

The CultCast 550 Apple podcast: There are very few reasons why anybody should buy the new MacBook Pro.
There are very few reasons why anybody should buy the new MacBook Pro.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The first reviews for the new M2 MacBook Pro are … not good.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Benchmarks for Apple’s new M2 chip continue to impress, but you can expect even more amazing performance boosts later this year.
  • What the upcoming CarPlay update is really about.
  • Apple TV+ has another hit on its hands with For All Mankind.

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 livestream, embedded below.

Our sponsor: CleanMyMac X

CleanMyMac X, from Ukrainian developer MacPaw, is a decluttering app for Mac that can keep your computer in tip-top shape. It includes 49 tools to find and delete invisible junk clogging your hard drive. Cult of Mac publisher Leander Kahney swears by CleanMyMac X (instead of swearing at it, as he does with most apps).

Get CleanMyMac X today with 5% off at macpaw.app/cultcast. Discount valid until June 30.

Apple pushes ahead with 15-inch M2 MacBook Air and 12-inch M2 MacBook

By

Apple may broaden its MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lineup to capture more market share.
Apple appears to want to broaden its MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lineup to capture more market share.
Photo: Apple

Apple is developing new form factors and planning upgrades for its MacBook lineup, Bloomberg reported Thursday. That should result in a 15-inch M2 MacBook Air and a new version of a 12-inch M2 MacBook arriving by late 2023 or early 2024.

And, likely sooner than that, we could see faster chips in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

Continuity Camera brings iPhone optics to macOS

By

Craig using Camera Continuity on macOS
It might look a little silly, but Camera Continuity could be a huge win for video calls AND video streaming
Photo: Apple
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

Continuity Camera, a new feature coming in iOS 16 and macOS Ventura, will upgrade video calls by bringing the iPhone’s pristine camera to the Mac.

“With Continuity Camera, you can use iPhone as your webcam,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s SVP of software engineering, during Monday’s live-streamed WWDC22 keynote. “It’s powered by the advanced capabilities of the iPhone camera system, letting you do things that were never before possible with a webcam.”

How to watch Apple’s big WWDC22 keynote [Updated]

By

How to watch Apple’s big WWDC22 keynote
Don't miss a thing from WWDC22.
Photo: Cult of Mac
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

One of Apple’s biggest events is right around the corner. This year’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote promises to deliver our first look at the company’s next-generation software updates for iPhone, iPad, Mac and more. And it’s all happening on June 6.

Just like past WWDC keynotes, this year’s will be streaming online, so you’ll be able to watch it in its entirety as it all unfolds. Here’s how.

Update: The WWDC22 keynote is behind us, but if you want to get caught up you can watch the whole presentation on YouTube. Or check Cult of Mac‘s in-depth coverage.

Get the most battery life out of your MacBook

By

Get the most battery life out of your Mac.
Get the most battery life out of your Mac.
Image: Apple

How do you kill that which cannot die? The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro boast industry-leading battery life. In the PC world, the high power consumption of Intel processors means you generally must choose between battery life and performance.

The latest MacBooks use Apple’s own custom chips, cut from the same cloth as the iPhone and iPad chips Apple has been designing since 2010 (and, in a roundabout way, the one they made for the Apple Newton in 1994). This is what powers them to last all day at full speed.

If you want to take your M1 Max MacBook Pro to the coffee shop to get work done, and you leave your power cable at home — even if you’re editing 8K ProRes video streams in Final Cut Pro — you still might be ordering lunch and staying through dinner. How could one possibly need more battery life, and how do you get it?

Add a trio of monitors to an M1 MacBook with new Anker docking station

By

Add a trio of monitors to an M1 MacBook with new Anker docking station
Apple said it couldn't be done.
Photo: Anker

With the Anker 563 USB-C Docking Station, a MacBook with an Apple M1 processor can handle three external monitors – two more than Apple designed the notebook to support.

And the hub can do more than that. It also packs three USB-A ports and an Ethernet connection.

Wait times for Mac Studio stretch into July

By

Mac Studio review roundup: Insane power in a small desktop
It could be a while before you can put a Mac Studio in your office.
Photo: Apple

If you need a Mac Studio this autumn, it might be smart to order it now. You could find yourself waiting for up to three months for delivery of some some top-tier configurations.

The macOS desktop appears to be caught by the same assembly delays that are affecting MacBook Pro.

MacBook assembly restarts after COVID-19 lockdown

By

MacBook assembly restarts after COVID-19 lockdown: There's a light at the end of tunnel of long MacBook Pro wait times.
There's a light at the end of tunnel of long MacBook Pro wait times.
Photo illustration: Cult of Mac

Everyone waiting for a new MacBook Pro to be delivered can take heart from a report that Quanta Computer has restarted assembling Apple notebooks. This comes after its assembly plant in Shanghai had been temporarily closed as part of the Chinese government’s attempts to slow the spread of COVID-19.

In the meantime, though, wait times for top-tier MacBooks now stretch into July.