However you celebrate in the deep, dark winter, these lights can help. Photo: Nanoleaf
New Nanoleaf Essentials Matter Smart Holiday String Lights — with support for the new Matter standard and all smart-home plaforms, including HomeKit — are coming in time for winter holidays, the company said Thursday.
Or maybe even in time for Halloween, for that matter. At any rate, it’s almost time to get festive.
This guy claims two Magic Trackpads is the way to go. Photo: [email protected]
From time to time we see setups with both a Magic Trackpad and a mouse because of their different peculiarities — mainly because many people find trackpads especially good for gesturing. But why would you use two Magic Trackpads?
Well, today’s MacBook Pro setup with dual Studio Displays and dual Magic Trackpads provides a use case.
Odds are your iPhone doesn't run iOS 17. Adoption of Apple's latest mobile operating system is downright anemic. Photo: Cult of Mac
In the weeks since iOS 17 launched, just a small percentage of iPhone owners have adopted it, according to an analytics firm. This is despite the fact that the new version is freely available for every iPhone going back five years.
Users may have been made cautious by Apple’s need to rush out three patches to fix bugs since the big update.
The switch from "Hey Siri" to just "Siri" has been a trial for a woman named Siri. Photo: Apple
Siri Price can no longer use that name. The Edinburgh-based fitness instructor had to pick a new name because of a change in iOS 17, which was released for iPhones in September.
Austin Butler, who recently played Elvis Presley, stars in the show. Photo: Apple
Apple TV+ provided a first look Thursday at upcoming World War II drama series Masters of the Air, from the team behind the acclaimed wartime series Band of Brothers and The Pacific. That would be Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman.
So the gritty and realistic WWII action continues, and that’s OK by me. The new nine-episode series follows the harrowing missions of an 8th U.S. Army Air Force bomber group as it helped defeat Nazi Germany.
The MacBook Pro models from January 2023 could be replaced by newer ones coming soon. Image: Apple
Apple will return to its habit of introducing new MacBook Pro models in Q4, according to an unconfirmed report. Supposedly, 14-inch and 16-inch models will hit the market before the end of 2023, both with mini-LED screens.
If true, these will be the second round of new MacBook Pros this year.
Apple has stopped signing the last stable iOS 16 release. Photo: Rajesh
You can no longer downgrade your iPhone to iOS 16.6.1. Following the release of iOS 17.0.3, Apple has stopped signing the last stable iOS 16 release for its iPhones.
So, if you did not like iOS 17 for some reason, there’s no way you can downgrade your iPhone to iOS 16 now.
Install iOS 17.0.3 to keep iPhone 15 from getting so hot. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
iOS 17.0.3 just launched, and Apple promises it “addresses an issue that may cause iPhone to run warmer than expected.” This is a well-publicized problem with iPhone 15 models.
It also might increase the battery life of previous iOS handsets.
Students at TechConnect learn the fundamentals of coding while programming robots using iPad. Photo: Apple
Apple’s Community Education Initiative (CEI) brings “coding, creativity and career opportunities to learners of all ages, and to communities that are traditionally underrepresented in technology,” the tech giant said in a new feature story about its outreach success in Houston.
The article focuses on programs including TechConnect, which gives iPads to kids in various training projects. It joined the initiative in 2022.
That's an HP Pavilion desktop machine running macOS. Photo: [email protected]
The quote in the headline above may be overly dramatic. Steve Jobs might not give a hoot that someone’s running macOS on an HP desktop machine. But the discussion on social media about whether it’s even worth it to bother with a hackintosh anymore is pretty interesting.
And if you’re into gaming, check out this guy’s mechanical keyboard and mouse.
"The Buccaneers" are coming to raid English manors. Photo: Apple
Olivia Rodrigo’s hit single “all-american bitch” and other tunes by women drive the new trailer Apple TV+ dropped Wednesday for The Buccaneers. The tale, set in 1870s England, comes from Edith Wharton’s unfinished novel of the same name, in which rich young American women mix it up with powerful English nobles.
It’s not the first series to pump out an anachronistic soundtrack. It debuts on Apple TV+ November 8 with three episodes. The remaining five come out on Wednesdays through December 13.
The Apple Watch Series 8 focuses on women's health with a new body temperature sensor that can detect ovulation. Screenshot: Apple
Planning to buy the Apple Watch Series 9 but don’t care about the new double tap gesture? Then, get the Apple Watch Series 8 for less than $300 instead.
With Amazon knocking up to $100 off the Series 8, the 2022 Apple Watch is an obvious choice over its successor.
As part of a trend among streaming services, Netflix will jack up the price of ad-free streaming soon. Photo: Netflix
With the writers and actors strikes now over if tentative agreements hold, Netflix plans to raise its ad-free streaming subscription price soon, joining other streaming platforms in doing so, a report said Tuesday.
Add your PayPal or Venmo credit or debit cards to Apple Wallet for use with Apple Pay. Photo: PayPal
If you use Apple Wallet and Apple Pay, now you can add your PayPal and Venmo credit and debit cards to the mix for easy payment on the go using iPhone or Apple Watch, PayPal said Wednesday.
This follows a previous PayPal announcement in November 2022 and some testing earlier this year.
The Action button would be easier to reach for right-handed phone holders. Photo: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
I’ve been using my new iPhone 15 Pro for a couple of weeks now, but I still haven’t gotten used to the new Action button.
The Action button can be configured to give easy, one-button access to a range of functions, from launching the flashlight to opening a Tesla car door.
I have mine set up to open the Camera app and then act as the shutter button. But it’s kinda useless for two reasons.
The upcoming point release of iOS 17.1 will pack several minor but important changes and features to deliver a better experience. Below is a look at everything new in iOS 17.1.
Apple Original special The Velveteen Rabbit debuts on November 22. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ set a slate of kids-and-family specials Tuesday for the upcoming holiday season, including the new Apple Original special The Velveteen Rabbit, based on Margery Williams’ beloved children’s book, on November 22.
But that’s not all. New holiday-themed episodes from series The Snoopy Show, Frog and Toad and Shape Island premiere December 1. And a special New Year’s Eve-themed episode of Sago Mini Friends comes out December 22.
Some Peanuts classics will stream for free, too — you don’t need to subscribe to Apple TV+ to see the classic Charlie Brown shows for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The Samsung T9 SSD is small but holds terabytes of data. Photo: Samsung
The just-launched Samsung T9 solid-state drive is small enough and tough enough to go almost anywhere. And it’s available in capacities up to 4 terabytes.
The USB-C drive offers high-speed data transfers, and support for USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 allows files to move even faster … but not for Mac users. If you’re considering alternatives, theSamsung T7 is another excellent option known for its reliability and speed.
Academy Award winner Peter Capaldi (left) and Cush Jumbo star in Criminal Record, premiering with the first two episodes on January 12 on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple
Apple TV+ unveiled a first look Tuesday at Criminal Record, an eight-episode crime thriller in which brilliant detectives clash over a high-profile murder in London.
Debuting January 12, the series stars Academy Award and BAFTA award winner Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who, The Thick of It) and Laurence Olivier Award and Critics Choice Award nominee Cush Jumbo (The Good Wife, The Good Fight, The Beast Must Die).
Your iPhone will get an emergency alert Wednesday that looks a lot like this. Photo: FCC/FEMA
iPhones and Androids in the United States will receive an emergency alert Wednesday, but it’s not anything to worry about. It will come from a couple of U.S. government agencies testing the Wireless Emergency Alerts system.
This isn’t the first time the system has been tested — the feds are required to check that the system works every few years.
In short, just ignore it. Also ignore the crazy conspiracy theories surrounding the test.
A Plugable Thunderbolt 4 dock (TBT4-UDX1) sits on a desk with multiple devices connected. Photo: Plugable
A new Plugable docking station provides 10 ports for Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 laptops, including support for dual 4K displays at 60Hz, the company said upon rolling out the new device Tuesday.
iPad 9 is great for casual use, especially at its discounted price. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Looking for a spare new iPad for casual use? Or maybe to use as a portable monitor while on the go? With Amazon knocking $59.01 off the iPad 9’s price, it is a terrific device for such use cases.
The 9th gen iPad is already the cheapest tablet in Apple’s lineup. Add in Amazon’s latest discount, and it becomes an even better deal for $269.99.
You don't have to pay full price to get the audio quality of HomePod 2. Photo: Apple
Apple is now offering refurbished units of its second-generation full-size HomePod at 17% off the regular price. This new version offers high-quality audio and additional smart-home features
Buying refurbs from Apple is a popular way to save on used electronics that can be relied on.