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News - page 17

First Apple smart glasses may not arrive until late 2027

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Apple Glasses render
Apple Glasses is over a year away from launch.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Apple’s first smart glasses will reportedly stand out based on strong brand value, “industrial design and iPhone integration,” according to new information that surfaced Sunday.

The company will seemingly launch its first smart glasses near the end of 2027.

Ferrari Luce is the Apple car we never got [Cult of Mac podcast No. 22]

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Photo of a blue Ferrari Luce, along with the words,
That ain't no Apple car, but it's close!
Image: Ferrari/Cult of Mac

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: The new Ferrari Luce is a $540,000 electric vehicle that’s the closest thing to an Apple car we’re ever going to see. That’s no surprise, considering the key role ex-Apple design chief Jony Ive played in crafting the EV.

We discuss the good, the bad and the laughable about the car (and fantasize about sliding behind the wheel).

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

  • A last-minute bombshell gives us an awfully good look at what the new AI-powered Siri — and the rest of iOS 27 — will look like. It’s filled with major spoilers for the WWDC26 keynote, which is coming on June 8. Tim Cook must be seething!
  • A long-overdue tweak in iOS 27 should make it easier to use AirPods‘ advanced features. We’re thrilled. But will the changes go far enough?
  • And finally, special guest Christina Warren returns to join in on all the fun. Plus, she gives us an update on what’s going on at GitHub amid the AI frenzy.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast 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 version, embedded below.

Best look yet at 4 iPhone 18 Pro colors: Can dark cherry top cosmic orange?

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iPhone 18 Pro colors may include dark cherry
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could come in a wine-inspired purplish-red color.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro color lineup may have just been revealed, thanks to images of a fresh batch of dummy units shared by a noted Apple leaker.

The good news: there’s a beautiful new dark cherry option. Now the bad: the popular cosmic orange iPhone is apparently going away.

Apple’s next-gen Siri could rely heavily on local AI

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Upgrading Siri with Google Gemini will be $1 billion quick fix
Apple is betting big on local AI processing.
Graphic: Apple/Google

Apple will reportedly play up the on-device AI prowess of its devices next month during its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote. The company will supposedly highlight how its A-series and M-series chips allow AI models to run locally for better efficiency and privacy.

With Apple’s competitors aggressively pushing cloud-based AI features, the company will likely position on-device AI as a key advantage of its ecosystem throughout WWDC26.

Detailed iOS 27 renders show Siri’s big makeover

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Apple Siri logo under construction
Apple is hard at work creating the new Siri.
AI image: Apple/ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Apple WWDC26:As Apple prepares what could be its most consequential software release in years with iOS 27 at WWDC26, we get our first real glimpse at what an overhauled Siri and other Apple Intelligence features may look like, courtesy of Bloomberg. It mocked up a bunch of illustrations in a new report Thursday.

iPhone users can now store their Arkansas driver’s license in Apple Wallet [Updated]

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Arkansas launches digital driver’s licenses in Apple Wallet
Your Arkansas driver’s license can go into Apple Wallet on your iPhone or Apple Watch.
Image: Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration

Arkansas residents can now add their driver’s licenses and state identification cards directly to Apple Wallet, allowing iPhone and Apple Watch users to present a digital version of their ID at supported locations across the United States.

The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration announced the rollout on Wednesday, expanding the state’s Mobile ID program that first launched in 2025. The move makes Arkansas the fifteenth U.S. state or territory to support Apple’s digital ID program.

Update: In a related note, Virginia is reportedly close to rolling out support for digital driver’s licenses and IDs.

How iPad and Mac help revitalize Cherokee language and culture

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iPad and Mac revitalize Cherokee language
Students use iPad to study the Cherokee language. They write out words and phrases in Notes and record themselves speaking them aloud to practice good pronunciation.
Photo: Apple

In the hallways of the Cherokee Immersion School in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, a quiet revolution is underway. Students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade are learning to speak a language that fewer than 1,500 people in the world still speak fluently — and Apple technology is helping make it happen as iPad and Mac revitalize Cherokee language, the iPhone giant reported in a new feature story Thursday.

“The technology that we utilize with Apple has allowed us to take everything that we really are trying to achieve here, which is the perpetuation and the revitalization of Cherokee language and culture, and use that same technology to make it relevant to the young people that are learning here,” said Chuck Hoskin Jr., Cherokee Nation’s principal chief.

WhatsApp will soon make it easy for iPhone users to share documents with Meta AI

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A picture of WhatsApp used in a story about Meta AI now supporting document uploads in WhatsApp.
iPhone users will soon be able to summarize documents using Meta AI in WhatsApp.
Photo: WhatsApp/Cult Of Mac

WhatsApp wants to make Meta AI a lot more useful on the iPhone. To that end, Meta is working on a new feature that allows users to upload documents and get AI-powered summaries and answers right in WhatsApp.

For iPhone users, this sounds like a meaningful upgrade. Instead of switching between apps to analyze PDFs, notes, presentations or spreadsheets, users will be able to hand files directly to Meta AI without relying on another chatbot.

Apple’s handy guide explains how to ID Creator Studio apps

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An image of Apple Creator Studio app icons
Apple wants users to know how to distinguish Creator Studio apps on the Mac.
Image: Apple

An Apple support document published Tuesday helps Mac users figure out which versions of its Creator Studio apps are running on their computers. It’s something no one expected in 2026, but here we are.

Currently, Apple ships two separate versions of Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, MainStage, Motion, Compressor and Pixelmator Pro. If you happen to be a Mac owner subscribed to Apple’s Creator Studio who also uses the standalone versions of the apps in the bundle, the support document is for you.

iPhone Ultra foldable starts to come into focus

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Folding iPhone Ultra with iFun case
When folded, the iPhone Ultra may be smaller than some people expect.
Image: iFun

New images claiming to show Apple’s long-rumored “iPhone Ultra” give Apple fans what may be their best look yet at the company’s first folding iPhone. They come from a company ready with a case for the handset, even though it has yet to be announced.

If the images prove to be accurate, there’s a lot to look forward to this fall.

Add multiple high-res screens to your Mac with these new Thunderbolt 5 docks

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Kensington SD5010T5 EQ Thunderbolt 5 Triple 4K Docking Station
Kensington launched a Thunderbolt 5 docking station that supports up to three 4K monitors.
Photo: Kensington

Both Kensington and Plugable just introduced Thunderbolt 5 docks for professionals who need to add multiple high-resolution displays as well as a range of other high-speed ports.

Both the Kensington SD5010T5 EQ Thunderbolt 5 Triple 4K Docking Station and the Plugable TBT-UDH2 offer 80Gbps/120Gbps of data bandwidth. This is the kind of connectivity that consumers don’t really need but pros must have.

Apple brings back After the Whistle podcast for World Cup

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After the Whistle podcast returns for World Cup
Brendan Hunt and Rebecca Lowe ride the World Cup roller coaster together.
Photo: Apple

Popular podcast After the Whistle with Brendan Hunt and Rebecca Lowe will return for a third season on June 7, Apple said Wednesday. The show, which stars Ted Lasso alum Hunt and Premier League soccer commentator Lowe, will arrive in time to cover the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“We are thrilled to bring After the Whistle back for a third season,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services and health, in a press release. “Brendan and Rebecca have an incredible ability to capture the energy and passion of the World Cup. Their unique dynamic and deep love for soccer make this show an absolute can’t-miss for fans everywhere.”

They say Vision Pro is doomed, but I just bought one anyway

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Photo of Cult of Mac writer Graham Bower wearing an Apple Vision Pro headset with his left hand in the air performing a gesture.
If Vision Pro is wrong, I don't want to be right.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Is it weird that I just bought an Apple Vision Pro when everyone says the platform is dead? Maybe. But I have zero regrets.

I’ve always supported the underdog. I guess that’s why I became an Apple fan in the first place. Back in the ’90s, using a Mac really did feel like being part of a “cult.” We believed in the platform when no one else did. And so it is with Vision Pro. It’s actually nice to see Apple as the underdog again, because that’s how Cupertino does its best work.

Apple could finally let your iPhone play nice with Google Cast

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An AI-generated drawing of an iPhone using Google Cast to play content on a smart TV.
With iOS 27, casting from your iPhone to standard smart TVs could become as easy as using AirPlay.
AI image: Google Gemini/Cult of Mac

The iPhone could get a lot better at casting videos to the big screen, as Apple is reportedly working on native support for Google Cast in iOS 27. That means you could soon beam video, photos and audio to almost all smart TVs on the planet.

Apple’s AirPlay is great if you are into the Apple ecosystem, but Google Cast is almost everywhere. It’s built into nearly all smart TVs sold today, including the hotel TVs you may have struggled with during vacations. Right now, your iPhone can’t natively talk to these devices, but iOS 27 could change that.

My favorite Mac app switcher just got a huge productivity upgrade

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rcmd v3 supercharges window management on Mac.
rcmd v3 supercharges window management on Mac.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Awesome AppsPlenty of third-party Mac app switchers try to improve the experience, but rcmd is my favorite because of its keyboard-driven approach. Now, with the recently released rcmd v3, the app evolves from a simple app switcher into a more powerful productivity tool, adding features like fuzzy search, workspace switching and more.

Every air traveler must know these power bank packing rules

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Why you should never pack a power bank in your checked baggage
Flying with a power bank? Here’s where EasyJet says it must go: in the cabin of the plane.
Photo: EasyJet

An airliner took an unscheduled stop, delaying travelers for a day, after the crew learned that a passenger had a power bank in use in their checked luggage.

That happened in Europe, but take this as a reminder that Federal Aviation Administration rules also forbid power banks and other spare lithium-ion batteries from traveling in checked baggage on passenger aircraft. Don’t do it.

Memes race to poke fun at Jony Ive’s new Ferrari Luce design

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Jony Ive's Ferrari Luce design unveiled
At least the color and prancing horse badge are familiar in this shot from Ferrari.
Photo: Ferrari

Ferrari officially pulled the wraps off the Luce, its first-ever all-electric vehicle, on Monday — and for Apple fans, this one’s personal. The car’s exterior and interior took design cues from LoveFrom, the creative collective founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive and longtime collaborator Marc Newson.

The Ferrari Luce is the highest-profile project the duo has taken on since leaving Cupertino, and it’s already dividing opinions. Plus, it’s the closest we’ll ever get to an Apple car.

FCC filing reveals new Apple over-ear headphones coming soon

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A picture of Beats Studio Pro used in a story about Apple working on a new pair of headphones.
Apple's filing offers little detail, but hints at a new pair of Beats headphones.
Photo: Apple

Apple appears to be working on a new pair of over-ear headphones, possibly Beats Studio Pro 2. A recently discovered filing in a Federal Communications Commission database describes an unreleased device as “Bluetooth over-ear headphones” with an antenna, battery and microphone.

The best guess right now is a long-overdue refresh of the Beats Studio Pro, which Apple released in 2023. Apple just released the AirPods Max 2, so it is unlikely the company will announce a new set of over-ear Apple headphones.

iOS 27 might finally fix the messy AirPods settings screen

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A photo of Apple AirPods used in a story about AirPods settings page revamp.
The AirPods' settings page just keeps getting more crowded as Apple adds new features.
Photo: Apple

Apple is reportedly preparing to overhaul one of the iPhone’s most cluttered menus: the AirPods settings screen.

Over the years, the AirPods settings screen has grown more cluttered with every new feature Apple introduces to the popular earbuds. That could change with iOS 27, which could come with a completely revamped layout for the AirPods settings.

Apple could silence most Magic Mouse criticism with one change

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Why Apple should add MagSafe wireless charging to the Magic Mouse.
Adding the iPhone's version of MagSafe to the Magic Mouse would make it even easier to charge.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The charging port on the bottom of the Magic Mouse draws criticism — mostly from people who’ve never actually used one. But there’s a way Apple could quiet the complaints and improve the product at the same time: add MagSafe wireless charging.

The mouse could keep its iconic design, become easier to charge and the critics would have to find something else to complain about.

Big Apple Watch AI upgrade might not arrive with iOS 27

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Apple Watch SE 3 review: Sleep score
watchOS 27 may disappoint you with the lack of new features.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Apple Watch’s next big software update — watchOS 27 — will supposedly follow the same strategy as iOS 27: It will focus on stability and performance rather than introducing radical new features.

Apple will not launch its AI-powered health coaching service with the initial build, according to a new report.

How AirPods Ultra could redefine premium earbuds

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AirPods Ultra may be Apple’s most ambitious AI product yet
What might be called AirPods Ultra could be an AI-focused device, not just a simple audio player.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Details continue to emerge about Apple’s next-generation premium earbuds, widely referred to as “AirPods Ultra” and sometimes described in leaks as fourth-generation AirPods Pro. The next-gen earbuds reportedly will bring a significant jump forward, including adding cameras and health-monitoring features. And they aren’t too far away.

Here’s what to expect.

Titanium iPhone redux? [Cult of Mac podcast No. 21]

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Image from Apple event showcasing iPhone 15 Pro with the word
Will future iPhones come in titanium once again?
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

On the latest episode of the Cult of Mac podcast: Apple might go back to the iPhone future, thanks to some metallurgical magic that involves a special titanium alloy.

We discuss the pros, the cons and the possible timeline for such a retro upgrade.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

  • Another recent Apple rumor also sounds like a bit of a flashback: The Apple Watch Ultra 4 might get high-blood-pressure alerts. Um, doesn’t it already do that? Yes, but …
  • As per tradition, Apple reveals new accessibility features coming in the next version of iOS. And, as always, they sound pretty incredible.
  • Special guest Niléane shows off TinyStart, a “tiny launcher for macOS,
fast and focused on the essentials.”

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast 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 version, embedded below.