Mobile menu toggle

News - page 130

iOS 17.1 will add pocket-detection mode for iPhone 15 Pro’s Action button

By

Closeup of iPhone 15’s new Action button.
iOS 17.1 will make a slight change to iPhone 15 Pro's Action Button behavior.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple will tweak the Action button’s behavior on the iPhone 15 Pro with the upcoming iOS 17.1. The change should prevent accidental keypresses from triggering the camera or flashlight.

The customizable Action button is easily one of the key highlights of the iPhone 15 Pro series.

Best Prime Big Deal Days sales on Apple gear and accessories [Updated]

By

Best deal on Apple gear and accessories for Amazon Prime Big Deal Days.
These are the Prime Big Deal Days you don't want to miss.
Image: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Did you miss buying your favorite Apple gear or accessory during Prime Day earlier in the year? Worry not, as Amazon is back with its Prime Big Deal Days, offering hefty discounts on a hoard of Apple products and accessories.

There are great deals on MacBooks, AirPods, Apple Watches, iPads and other Apple accessories that make your favorite products much more affordable.

Samsung ad urges Apple to end blue and green bubbles in iMessage

By

Samsung ad urges Apple to end blue and green bubbles in iMessage
The real message: Samsung wants more iPhone users to switch to Android.
Screenshot: Samsung

Samsung used a short video to join Google in urging Apple to add support for Rich Communication Services to iMessage, which would end the blue bubble vs. green bubble divide.

The reason for their campaign is obvious: if Apple made the change, people would be more likely to switch from iPhone to Samsung’s Androids.

Cutting-edge Espresso 4K touchscreen expands to 17 inches

By

espresso 17 Pro external touchscreen for Mac or Windows
This 17.6-inch touchscreen and stand are ready to travel with your MacBook.
Photo: espresso Displays

The Espresso 17 Pro answers the demand for a high-end portable monitor for MacBooks. It sports a 17.3-inch display at a 4K resolution, but it comes in a sleek package ready for on-the-go use. (Update: For a detailed Espresso 17 Pro review, check out our in-depth analysis of its features and performance.)

Beyond increasing the user’s workspace, the display includes a touchscreen for digital artists looking to add this capability to their Mac.

Mac sales decline year-over-year for an odd reason

By

iMac Pro and Mac mini
Macs shipments haven't dropped, despite the end of the pandemic.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple shipped 7.2 million Macs in the third quarter of 2023, according to a market analysis firm. That’s a whopping 23% decrease from the previous year, but Q3 2022 was one of the best quarters Apple has ever had for a bad reason.

Ignoring last year’s unusual quarter, Mac shipments are holding steady despite the end of the pandemic. Windows PC makers certainly can’t say that.

15-inch MacBook Air drops to its lowest price after big $250 discount

By

15-inch MacBook Air
This 15-inch MacBook Air deal is the one you should not miss.
Photo: Apple

Amazon is starting its Prime Big Deal Days early by discounting the 15-inch MacBook Air to its lowest price. Apple wants $1,299 for the entry-level 15-inch Air, but Amazon currently drops the price to just $1,049.

That’s a whopping $250 off the machine’s MSRP, making the world’s slimmest 15-inch laptop an even better offering.

Dual flying MacBooks flank external display and iPad [Setups]

By

The user can't decide whether to leave the MacBooks like they are, or close them in clamshell mode.
The user can't decide whether to leave the MacBooks like they are, or close them in clamshell mode.
Photo: [email protected]

Today’s MacBook Pro setup presents a strange picture not just because of the image repeated on the four screens. It’s just weird seeing dual “flying” MacBooks and an iPad as part of a quad-display setup.

After writing about hundreds of computer setups spotted in the wild, we can’t remember one that featured a pair of MacBooks open on stands like that. And the user questions the choice, too, seeking to possibly save a ton of desk space.

Nab bargain-basement prices on MacBook Pro and Air while you can

By

A variety of MacBook Pro and Air models from previous years is on sale now.
A variety of MacBook Pro and Air models from previous years is on sale now.
Photo: Apple

Amazon bargain site Woot! offers great deals in its MacBooks sale on both new and refurbished MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models.

As usual, Woot! has a little fun in the description at the top: “Somewhere there’s still an Apple IIe running ‘Leisure Suit Larry,'” it wrote.

The sale ends October 15 at 10 p.m. PT.

Choose from long and super-long cuts of Ridley Scott’s Napoleon

By

The long version tells more of Josephine's story.
The long version tells more of Josephine's story.
Photo: Apple TV+

Ridley Scott’s epic film Napoleon may come in a shorter theatrical release at 2 hours and 38 minutes as well as a director’s cut of 4 hours and 10 minutes (as of its last editing), the legendary director said. He suggested the long one will air on Apple TV+ after the short one’s theatrical release.

New iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air and iPad Pro models are on the way

By

iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad
All of Apple's iPad lines are up for a revamp.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple intends to update the entire iPad lineup in the coming months, according to information leaking out of the company. Details have come to light about models from the smallest iPad mini to the largest iPad Pro.

Included on the list are tablets that haven’t been updated in a couple of years.

Here’s what to expect.

Latest iOS 17 patch marginally improves older iPhone battery life

By

iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 has a better battery life under iOS 17.0.3 than it did with iOS 17.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

iOS 17.0.3 increases the battery life of nearly all older iPhones. However, tests done on a variety of models found that the patch released this week generally doesn’t make dramatic improvements.

That said, there’s very good news for anyone still using an iPhone XR.

Macs get ready to heat up as iPhone 15 cools down [The CultCast]

By

CultCast 615- MacBook Pro rumors.
Are we really going to see new MacBooks before the year ends?
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest MacBook rumor sounds enticing, but will it come true? It’s time to speculate. Meanwhile, the real fire talk is all about that big, toasty iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple’s iOS 17 update fixes the overheating problem. (Frankly, “Thermalgate” seems about as overblown as “Printgate.”)

Also on The CultCast:

  • Did Apple screw up the iPhone 15 Pro’s Action button? We debate our fearless leader Leander Kahney’s controversial stance on the subject.
  • Apple’s got a secret plan to own its microLED display chain.
  • If you don’t like macOS Sonoma’s brilliant one-click desktop reveal, we’ll tell you how to turn it off. (We’ll try not to think less of you if you do.)
  • On the 12th anniversary of Steve Jobs’ death, we ponder the state of Apple’s leadership and vision.

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.

Top 7 Macs that Apple should make

By

The Mac lineup has never looked better.
Apple makes a lot of Macs, but they still leave some stones unturned.
Photo: Apple

The transition from Intel processors to Apple silicon changed every Mac for the better … almost. But there are a few niches in the lineup that have yet to be filled.

While Apple’s computers are best-in-class, there are a few categories the company does not currently compete in. These are the top seven Macs that Apple doesn’t make.

The ultimate in pet entertainment: Jolly Dog [Awesome Apps]

By

Jolly Pet dog game running on an iPad with dog looking on.
Jolly Pet is popular iPad game for canines -- and some humans too.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Awesome AppsJolly Dog, an iPad game for dogs, is rapidly climbing the App Store charts, thanks to viral gameplay clips on social media.

Originally released in 2016, the app currently ranks No. 27 on the top free iPad apps in the United States, according to App Figures, a market research firm that provides app analytics.

I couldn’t get our dog interested in it, but plenty of pet owners say it provides lots of gameplay fun — and not just for their furry friends. Some humans enjoy playing it, too.

New teardown video zooms in 7,000x on iPhone 15 guts

By

This borrowed microscope lets the video zoom in thousands of times on iPhone 15 components.
This borrowed microscope lets the video zoom in thousands of times on iPhone 15 components.
Photo: iFixit

iFixit brought in a new toy for its iPhone 15 teardown video Friday — an Olympus DSX1000 digital microscope. That enabled magnification of up to 7,000x on the tiny bits inside Apple’s newest base handset.

Watch the video below and see some shots from it above and below.

See where Tim Cook sits on list of employees’ fave CEOs

By

A survey ranked Tim Cook fourth most-popular CEO, according to employees.
A survey ranked Tim Cook fourth most-popular CEO, according to employees.
Image: Canva

Apple CEO Tim Cook place fourth on a list ranking CEOs by popularity according to employees. Blind Workplace Insights released it this week.

Tech, e-commerce and finance leaders dominated the high end of the Blind professional social network’s list. But tech firms were no stranger to the low end, either.

Nanoleaf gets festive with most advanced holiday string lights yet

By

However you celebrate in the deep, dark winter, these lights can help.
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.

Dual Magic Trackpads? But why? [Setups]

By

This guy claims two Magic Trackpads is the way to go.
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.

iOS 17 adoption moves at a trickle

By

iPhone with an iOS 17 logo
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.

Spielberg and Hanks bring death from above in WWII drama Masters of the Air on Apple TV+

By

Austin Butler, who recently played Elvis Presley, stars in the show.
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.

New MacBook Pro models with mini-LED could launch this year

By

2023 MacBook Pro in 16-inch and 14-inch versions
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.