There’s nothing like a major upgrade. Today we return to one of the most magnificent computer setups we’ve seen lately, as it somehow found a way to top itself. When you’ve already got a loaded Mac Pro, two Pro Display XDRs and a top Apple laptop and tablet, where do you go from there?
You thank the HomePod mini for its service and welcome new $1,250 speakers to the party.
Consumers have to put down $1099 for an iPhone 14 Pro Max, but the hardware components for Apple’s top-of-the line smartphone cost less than half the selling price.
But don’t make the mistake of thinking the rest is pure profit.
Apple continues working on its long-rumored iPhone hardware subscription service despite hitting several roadblocks. The service was first rumored to launch in late 2022.
With a subscription service, Apple will allow customers to get the latest iPhone by paying a monthly fee. This would save them from shelling out the total device cost upfront.
The new comedy Shrinking has become a standout success for Apple TV+, according to two audience-tracking companies. The last new shows on the streaming service to attract so much attention were Black Bird and Severance. Not that the three series have much in common, besides being able to pull in large numbers of viewers.
Shrinking, which stars Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, is about a therapist who throws out the rulebook and tells his clients what he really thinks they should do.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple’s squinty supreme leader Tim Cook sees room to push the high end of the iPhone market, and you know what that means … iPhone Ultra incoming! We know at least one feature this thing will pack — a big, fat titanium price tag.
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.
Nothing gets the heart pumping like a good racing game. Riptide GP: Renegade+ challenges players to try hydrojet racing at breakneck speeds, alone or in groups of up to eight.
The game from Vector Unit first debuted several years ago, and was named an App Store Best of 2016. Starting Friday, it’s included with the Apple Arcade subscriptions service for iPhone and other Apple devices.
Sure, you only need a MacBook Air or Pro to get things done almost anywhere. Or maybe an iPad with a stand and keyboard. But if you want to be more comfortable (and productive), wouldn’t you want a fuller computer setup? Today’s incredibly spare featured setup gets the job done.
The user is a journalist who takes their work on the road, like the fast-food joint in the photo above. They use just an M1 MacBook Air on a stand, a mini mechanical wireless keyboard and mouse, and sometimes a clamp-on light and iPhone mount to handle quality video calls via Continuity Camera.
Apple has started selling refurbished iPad mini 6 and M1 iPad Pro models through its Certified Refurbished store in the US. Both these tablets launched in 2021.
Depending on the iPad you want, you can save up to $320 by buying a refurbished unit.
The best-selling PC game of the 20th century has been reborn as Myst Mobile. Anyone who wants to relive the classic, or play an amazing game for the first time, can install it on iPhone and iPad and start playing for free.
This isn’t a knockoff. Cyan, the developer of the original, calls its new version “the definitive mobile port.”
A teardown video from iFixit shows that getting into the recently launched HomePod 2 is dramatically easier than opening up its predecessor. That’s going to make repairing the new smart speaker far simpler.
The video is an interesting deep dive for anyone who just wants a glimpse inside the latest HomePod.
The Cult of Mac Store opened up a new sale Thursday, offering a discount of 20% off purchases of any two SwitchEasy accessories. With 98 products to choose from, that covers a wide variety of needs any Apple user might have.
Check out the SwitchEasy collection as a whole, and read more about some product highlights for iPad, iPhone and more below. The sale goes through Thursday, February 16.
A skilled concept artist created a video with a wish list of new features for iOS 17, including displaying two applications at once and directly installing applications outside of the App Store. Plus quite a few more additions.
It’s a demonstration that, as good as iPhone is, there’s plenty room for improvement.
Users have complained about the limitations of the Siri “intelligent” assistant for years, but now that OpenAI’s ChatGPT is showing the world that artificial intelligence can do amazing things, it’s never been more obvious that Apple’s version is as dumb as a bag of hammers.
Not only does this make Apple look bad, it makes HomePod less useful. Really, it makes all the company’s products less useful than they could be.
Apple needs to step up its AI game or it risks being left out of an important new wave of computing.
Apple’s M2 MacBook Air with 512GB storage is down to $1,349 on Amazon after a $150 discount. If you have been eyeing the slimmest MacBook in Apple’s lineup, this is a deal you should not miss.
With 512GB storage, the M2 MacBook Air will easily last you for the next few years.
Benchmarks for the Galaxy S23 Ultra show that Samsung’s new flagship handset offers substantially slower performance than the top-of-the-line iPhone 14 Pro.
This continues a long string of high-end Androids that can not match the performance of the latest iPhone.
Carol Surface is reportedly stepping in as Apple’s new Chief People Officer, the company’s term for head of human resources.
She’s taking over part of the responsibilities of Deirdre O’Brien who was previously both the HR chief and in charge of managing Apple’s retail store business.
Best-known for its smartphones, OnePlus broadened its horizons Tuesday by rolling out the new OnePlus Featuring Keyboard 81 Pro wireless mechanical keyboard, among other products.
The keeb’s name may be off-kilter, but its design and functionality, co-engineered by well-known keyboard maker Keychron, look right on target for Mac users.
Calling it “perfect for use anywhere in the world,” accessories maker Ugreen unveiled its new 65W Nexode GaN USB-C three-port wall charger Wednesday.
Not sure about “anywhere,” but the new gallium nitride (GaN) charger comes with US, UK and EU plugs that you can easily swap in or out for use in many countries. And its two USB-C ports and one USB-A port make it handy for charging up to three devices at once.
Apple Pay Later reportedly has entered beta testing among Apple’s retail store employees, signaling that the “buy now, pay later” service is nearing public release.
The move comes months after Apple announced the financing option at its Worldwide Developers Conference last June.
The Cult of Mac Store has another sale going — through Saturday you can take 15% off a variety of cool accessories from Mifa and Elkson. This one’s especially good for Apple Watch fans.
Mifa is known for its assortment of high-quality Apple Watch bands. Elkson does great bands too, but also rugged cases for Apple Watch, AirPods Pro and AirTags.
The guy who made headlines in 2021 for replacing an iPhone X’s Lighting port with a USB-C port — and then selling the handset for big bucks on eBay — is back. This time he’s modding AirPods Pro cases with USB-C instead of Lightning ports, and he’s selling them as well as 3D-printed parts.
Engineering consultant Ken Pillonel said he’s doing it to highlight Apple products’ repairability issues and the unfortunate fact that items like AirPods are meant to be discarded rather than fixed.
A room is what you make of it, and today’s featured computer setup finds a home in a room only a computer science student could make. He may have to live in a windowless attic, but he brings a lot of computing power and light to it, making it look and feel larger than it is.
Check out all the gear in the M1 Max MacBook, custom PC and triple-display outfit below.
The Apple Pencil 2 is again down to its lowest price of $89, a sweet $40 off its $129. If you use your iPad heavily for note-taking or sketching, the Apple Pencil 2 is a no-brainer.
Apple’s handy iPad accessory can magnetically attach to the tablet and charge wirelessly.
The Twelve South BackPack for Apple Studio Display and iMac adds storage space to the rear of the monitor. The snap-on shelf can be used to declutter a desk or to add a bit of decor to an office.
There was already a version of the accessory specifically for iMacs.
What pulled Apple away from Intel? In a new interview, Apple executives Tim Millet and Bob Borchers reveal why the company shifted to making its own Mac chips.
Plus, they shed light on what they’re doing to make the Mac a gaming platform once again, how the Apple silicon architecture can make it happen, and when the best time is to buy a new Mac.