TDK Corp. recently developed a material for its next-generation solid-state battery with an energy density about 100 times greater than the current version.
The Japanese company already supplies batteries that go into iPhones and other Apple devices, so there’s hope this breakthrough eventually will benefit Apple Watch and AirPods.
Apple could refresh its MacBook Pro lineup with M4 chips as soon as Q4 2024. Based on supply-chain checks, panel shipments for the 14-inch and 16-inch models will start in Q3 2024.
Typically, this indicates that Apple will start shipping new MacBook Pro models in the last quarter of the year.
Edifier’s new D32 speaker, a stylish and powerful wireless speaker that looks a bit like your grandfather’s radio, packs modern audio technology. Its hi-res audio capabilities and robust 60-watt amplifier system sit inside a hand-made wooden cabinet with crazy-cool retro buttons. And it costs just $170, which might seem steep to your grandpa, but it’s not bad.
A cheaper version of Apple’s Vision augmented reality headset has reportedly been fast-tracked. The goal is supposedly to have the scaled-back device on the market by 2025.
To accomplish this, Apple allegedly halted work on the next generation high-end Vision Pro model.
You can preorder the newly updated Beats Solo Buds headphones June 18 and expect shipping to commence June 20, Apple subsidiary Beats by Dre said.
At just about half the cost of AirPods 3 and ready-made to pair with Apple devices with long battery life and a truly tiny case, the new buds could be a tempting get for a lot of folks. And big sound is promised, too, according to the video below.
UPDATE: As noted above, Beats Solo Buds became available to order today, Tuesday, June 18, and should ship starting Thursday.
A cryptic new video ad featuring basketball star Lebron James rapping along with L’il Wayne suggested Monday that the long-rumored return of the discontinued Beats Pill+ speaker could be just one week away.
That’s if the video’s ending reference to “The Predicament 6.25” means the updated speaker, which celebrities have been photographed carrying around recently, will launch next Tuesday.
Apple Pay Later, a financial tool that launched in 2023, has already been discontinued. The now-defunct service allowed shoppers to borrow up to $1,000 and pay it back in installments with no interest.
The company said Monday that, starting later this year, Apple Pay will instead allow buyers to access similar small “buy now, pay later” loans via other financial institutions’ credit and debit cards.
Ever since computers like iMac G3 pulled off the trick, transparent computer gear has come in and out of style. And now transparent keyboards are having a bit of a moment. One good example is the Yunzii X75 Mechanical Keyboard seen in today’s MacBook Pro setup.
A Canadian firefighter credited Apple Watch for saving his life when he suffered a heart attack, according to a report over the weekend.
Given the wearable probably saved his life, the fit and active 44-year-old man said he’ll never go another day without it.
The Apple Watch Series 10 might adopt a thinner design with a bigger display. Reportedly, Apple will bump the chassis size from 41mm and 45mm to 45mm and 49mm.
Disappointingly, the company apparently does not plan significant upgrades for the Apple Watch Ultra this year. It might get a new black color option, but that’s about it.
Apple reportedly plans to launch a super-slim iPhone 17 model in 2025. The company is also working on slimming down MacBook Pro and Apple Watch in future revisions.
The company will seemingly focus on making its devices thinner without sacrificing performance or battery life.
iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia and watchOS 11 bring exciting new features, but some of them might not arrive on older iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches, even if you can run the new software. Which features won’t older devices get? We rounded up everything we can find that won’t make it to aging gear.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: After a lightning-fast WWDC24 keynote, we’re left to ponder Apple Intelligence, a (potentially) smarter Siri and a ton of whiz-bang features coming to iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 and visionOS 2.
Also on The CultCast:
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.
Dark Matter, one of the best sci-fi novels of the decade, has been adapted into an Apple TV+ series that spent its fifth week as one of the most popular offerings on any streaming service, according to analysts.
And Presumed Innocent just debuted on Apple’s streaming service this week but is already getting plenty of attention.
The European Commission is reportedly getting ready to charge Apple for not following rules laid down by Digital Markets Act that require the iPhone maker to allow third-party software developers to “steer” consumers to offers outside the App Store, free of charge.
If found guilty, Apple faces potentially heavy fines.
The sleek new CukTech 10, a 100-watt, 10,000mAh power bank with a digital display brings fast mobile charging to laptops, smartphone, gaming console and more, the company said this week. And thanks to a launch sale, you can nab it on Amazon for just under $30. That’s a low price for a power banks with this battery capacity and wattage.
iPad never before included a built-in Calculator app because there wasn’t one Steve Jobs felt was worthy of a tablet. That all changes with iPadOS 18, which boasts a new Apple Calculator app that you can write into with Apple Pencil.
Here’s why it’s something Jobs would be proud of.
Jon Stewart got super-candid about what really ended his Apple TV+ show, The Problem with Jon Stewart, on a podcast Thursday. He previously hinted at creative differences after the show got canceled, but in the podcast discussion, he went into much more depth — even describing the exact moment he knew it was all over.
Stewart made the remarks in a long conversation on the podast The Town with Matthew Belloni.
Cult of Mac‘s setups coverage loves to look at premium products, but we often emphasize value with thrifty-but-reliable gear. Today we marvel, however, at just how much one desk lamp can cost. Our MacBook Pro user places a $650 Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk Light on a very nice Vari sit-stand desk.
Do people really pay that much for a lamp? Even our user claims it was a gift, not a purchase.
WhatsApp is introducing key improvements to video (and voice) calling on its platform for a better experience. As part of the upgrade, you can now share audio while screen sharing.
Another notable change is having group video calls with up to 32 participants on your phone or desktop. This is the same limit as FaceTime.
The AI capabilities Apple announced at WWDC24 are nowhere to be seen in the first round of betas for iOS 18, macOS Sequoia and iPadOS 18. This despite the new Apple Intelligence features, like the ability to summarize documents or create new emoji on the fly, are the highlights of the upcoming operating system upgrades.
So those eager to try Apple AI can hold off installing these buggy prerelease versions. It’ll only be a disappointment.
iOS 18 will enable your iPhone to show the time even when the battery has run dry. This improvement relies on the Power Reserve function of new iPhones to work.
Thanks to Power Reserve, your iPhone is findable offline, and the NFC chip also works for Express Card functionality.
Apple is not paying OpenAI for ChatGPT access in iOS 18, according to a new report. Neither is OpenAI paying Apple for the privilege of integrating its chatbot into millions of iPhones later this year.
A news story sheds light on the high-profile arrangement between the two companies — and details how it is more than about money.
In a new family coming-of-age series headed to Apple TV+, a kid discovers he possesses a shape-shifting superpower. He can become someone else. And in the midst of battling bullies and struggling with other middle-schooler crises like school dances, he learns that life is full of challenges and how we meet them helps define who we are. Oh, and “someone is coming” for him, ominously. At least, that’s the gist of the trailer for Me that Apple TV+ dropped Wednesday.
After this preachy, over-educational trailer, I’m rooting for whoever’s coming for the kid. But if you have children who need to learn about resilience and figuring out who they are, maybe this is a good family-watch this summer.
Hailing from Barry L. Levy (Vantage Point), the new 10-episode series Me debuts on Apple TV+ July 12.
Apple rose to once again become the world’s most valuable publicly traded company on Wednesday. Its market capitalization passed $3.3 trillion, once again putting the Mac-maker ahead of Microsoft.
This comes just days after Apple dropped to third place when Nvidia’s share market cap briefly rose ahead. But AAPL has been on a tear since announcing plans this week to integrate AI into iPhone, Mac and other products.
Update: Stocks go down as well as up, and when Wall Street closed on Wednesday, Microsoft’s valuation was slightly higher than Apple’s.