2024 will be a big, colorful year for iPad. Image: Cult of Mac
Get ready for big changes in the iPad 2024 lineup. Apple plans to shake things up next year, offering new versions of every tablet model, from the basic budget offering to the largest iPad Pro.
Details of the upcoming changes leaked out early, so we can tell you now what’s coming to the iPad in 2024.
We honestly never thought this day would come. What's next for Apple Watch? Image: Cult of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: You maniacs! You blew it up! A patent dispute nukes Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra from Apple’s website. And by Christmas, the smartwatches will disappear from Apple Store shelves in the United States.
Who knew it would come to this? And what’s next for Apple Watch in this long legal battle?
Also on The CultCast:
There’s more bad news for Apple Watch fans. A redesign might render your Apple Watch band collection obsolete!
Two luxury automakers show off next-gen CarPlay interfaces, and they look awesome.
We’ve got more picks for the best stuff of 2023.
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.
If you have a broken Apple Watch, you have a bigger problem than usual. AI image: Cult of Mac
The ban on selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 affects Apple’s ability to replace broken units, too. Starting December 25, the company won’t be able to send customers replacement units for smashed Apple Watch models going back to Series 6.
Apple stands accused of patent infringement due to a health-related sensor in the smartwatches. The years-long dispute between Cupertino and a medical tech company finally reached the point of an Apple Watch sales and import ban.
It's a fun way to engage with an AI chat. Photo: Zviadi Tumanishvili
The new Aztec Mystery Magic app for iPhone and iPad released Thursday dresses up artificial intelligence (AI) chat in a cool Aztec costume.
It doesn’t do a whole lot, but it looks cool and it’s free. It answers questions, makes predictions and offers ancient Aztec riddles you can solve to get amulets. And hey, you might learn something.
With the new green option, you can now choose from seven colors. Photo: Laut
Laut’s Steel Loop Apple Watch Band boasts a stainless-steel-mesh look and feel that’s elegant enough for a festive gala but would not look out of place at a football game.
And you can get it in seven cool colors, now that the new green option is available in the Cult of Mac Store.
Sure, this is mustache-less Ted Lasso from a 2022 holiday animated short, but the coach looks pretty worried his gifts won't get to Kansas by Christmas. Photo: Apple
Thursday is the last day you can order a gift from Apple and expect it to arrive before December 25 in the United States, according to the company’s holiday shipping guidelines.
But don’t despair. You can still order Apple products for pick-up or delivery from a local Apple Store.
Put Apple Arcade under your Christmas tree this year. Photo: Apple
A recent survey shows that what most kids want for Christmas is video games. Let me suggest you give the gift of Apple Arcade this holiday season.
Apple’s game service offers over 200 titles in a wide variety of genres at a single, low price, and it’s especially well suited for kids. But there’s fun for the whole family, too.
An Apple Card Savings account is now an even better deal. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Money stored in Apple Card Savings accounts just started earning more interest. Goldman Sachs, the bank that backs these accounts, raised the interest rate to 4.25%.
This is a far higher rate than most savings accounts available to consumers. If you’re interested in learning more about the Apple Savings APY, check out the latest details on Apple Card’s savings interest rate.
The Vision Pro release date could come in only two months. Photo: Apple
Apple promises that its Vision Pro will be out “early next year,” but a noted tipster has the release of the cutting-edge AR headset narrowed down to February.
The product is supposedly already in full production in China.
Porsche's CarPlay integration extends all the way across the dashboard. Photo: Porsche and Apple
Collaborating with Apple, upscale carmakers Porsche and Aston Martin previewed next-generation, more fully integrated CarPlay interfaces for upcoming models Wednesday.
Apple announced next-gen CarPlay in 2022, set to start rolling out in vehicles from more than a dozen makers by the end of 2023 and in 2024.
Big-time tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee loves iPhone 15 Pro for its cameras -- especially for video -- and iPhone 15 Plus's big battery. Photo: Marques Brownlee
YouTuber and tech influencer Marques Browlee recognized iPhone 15 Pro as the smartphone with the best cameras of the year in his MKBHD Smartphone Awards 2023 on Tuesday, offering his highest praise for the handset’s exceptional video chops.
And that’s not all. He also named iPhone 15 Plus as the handset with the best battery experience. Watch his video below.
Apple Watch Series 9 is going fast. And not in a good way. Image: Apple
Sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 from Apple’s website will stop on December 21. So Wednesday is the last day to purchase these wearables from Apple.com.
Apple retail stores will continue to sell them until December 24, but then those also will halt because of a patent dispute over an important feature in the devices. Apple, which previously appealed the U.S. International Trade Commission’s ruling on the matter, asked for a stay on the ban on U.S. imports and sales of the smartwatches. But in a Wednesday filing, the ITC denied Apple’s request (.pdf).
This flat side-by-side look brought up debate, plus the question of getting wallpaper to work that way across two screens. Photo: [email protected]
Few people would dispute that the extra screen real estate of a second display can be a huge help in a computer setup. But let’s say you have two Studio Displays in landcape (horizontal) mode. Do you place them side by side perfectly straight or do you angle them in some way?
Today’s MacBook Pro workstation brought up the debate and surfaced a cool tip for getting wallpaper to appear half on one display and half on the other.
No Mac? No iMessage on Android for you then Photo: Beeper Mini
Beeper Mini will soon require you to have access to a Mac for using iMessage on Android. Or you will have to use your friend’s Mac to set up Beeper Cloud.
Beeper’s latest workaround comes after Apple’s crackdown. The service has experienced multiple outages this week, with the company claiming its latest fix will address them and deliver a reliable experience.
Take a couple minutes and install iOS 17.2.1. Your iPhone will be free of some bugs. Image: Cult of Mac
iPhone users can now install iOS 17.2.1. And macOS Sonoma 14.2.1 is out as well. These are minor bug fix updates, though. The changes are so small Apple didn’t bother to describe them.
These are the only updates introduced Tuesday. There’s no iPadOS version, nor one for Apple Watch. And no new betas, either.
Best Foot Forward and three other Apple Originals took home Children's & Family Emmy Awards. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ took home four wins over the weekend in the second annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards, notching victories for Apple Originals Pinecone & Pony, Life By Ella, Jane and Best Foot Forward.
And Apple’s Tara Sorensen and Ellen Coons were honored for Individual Achievement in Animation — Character Animation for Shape Island.
The first-ever Matter-over-Thread smart outlet and a light switch updated for Matter are two of Eve's new offerings. Photo: Eve Systems
Eve Systems introduced the first Matter-over-Thread smart electrical outlet along with a Matter-enabled smart light switch and window blinds on Monday, the company said.
Eve Energy Outlet, Eve Blinds Collection and Eve Light Switch all work with HomeKit. The outlet and blinds go on sale in early February 2024 and the light switch arrives a bit later.
If you subscribe to Apple News+, you now have top sport journalism at your fingertips. Photo: The Athletic
Apple News+ subscribers now get access to The Athletic‘s sports journalism and will see Wirecutter‘s in-depth product ratings in the feed early in 2024, Apple said Tuesday.
“Like so many lifelong sports fans, I am a devoted reader of The Athletic and their fantastic sports reporting and local coverage,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services.
“We’re so proud to now bring sports fans The Athletic in Apple News+ — which millions of News+ subscribers are going to love,” he added.
The fix is unlikely to be ready by the time the import ban goes into effect, though. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
Apple engineers reportedly are racing to create a software workaround ahead of a potential Apple Watch import ban in the United States over a patent claim. Apple reportedly hopes to make changes to the algorithm that measures a user’s blood oxygen saturation.
The move comes amid an ongoing patent dispute between Apple and Masimo, a medical devices company that says the Apple Watch’s blood oxygen feature breaches its patents. The International Trade Commission ruled earlier this year that Apple infringed on patents held by Masimo Corp., which could result in a ban on the import and sales of certain Apple Watches next week.
As a preemptive measure, Apple says it will pause Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 sales starting December 21. The company also began sending new marketing materials to its retail stores, promoting the Apple Watch without mentioning the Series 9 or Ultra 2. Apple’s decision to pause smartwatch sales does not affect the Apple Watch SE model, as it lacks a blood oxygen sensor.
These four Apple TV+ series all draw big audiences. Photo: Apple TV+/Cult of Mac
Four of the top 10 most popular streaming series are all on Apple TV+, according to a market analysis. That’s a new milestone for Apple’s streaming service.
The list includes British spy thriller Slow Horses and Godzilla series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, as well as other shows that both audiences and critics like.
Munoz loves his Studio Display the most, but he also praises his 14-inch M1 MacBook Pro and other gear. Photo: Jose Munoz
If Apple’s popular but pricey Studio Display is well-suited to anyone, it’s any type of designer because of the monitor’s formidable graphics chops.
In today’s loaded MacBook Pro setup, a designer sets apart his Studio Display for the highest praise among many items in a remarkably well-equipped workstation. And his Lego collection is epic, too.
Expect to see two versions of AirPods 4 -- including one with noise canceling -- in 2024. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple will revamp its AirPods lineup in 2024 in an effort to boost sales and clarify offerings, a new report indicates.
AirPods 4 should arrive next year, with two versions replacing current lower-priced earbuds models. And AirPods Max will receive some long-awaited updates, although the pricey over-ear headphones won’t get a major revamp.
Probably the comfiest band you'll ever wear.
Photo: Bucardo
The brilliant Bucardo Sport band for Apple Watch is your perfect companion for any type of workout. Made from a lightweight and breathable fabric, it’s as comfortable as a sweatband.
It’s built for anything and remains ultra-comfy at all times.
Grab a recent-model Apple Watch while you can still get one. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple will temporarily halt sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 starting December 21. This is the result of a decision made by the International Trade Commission that the wearables infringe on patents held by two medical device-makers.
Apple argues that the companies are “patent trolls,” but it’s not that simple. And the question now is whether Apple will pay to license the patents, or if it will continue to fight in court.