Google is improving Chrome so it takes up less of Mac's system memory. And it'll go easier on batteries, too. Photo: Google/Apple
Google tweaked the desktop version of Chrome so that background tabs take up less memory. The widely used browser will also use less power when a laptop’s battery is getting low.
The changes are coming soon to the macOS version as well as other desktop OSs.
The new Mujjo Tech Kit is compact. The Tech Case is larger. Photo: Mujjo
Are your Apple accessories and cables becoming a messy hassle, especially when you travel? Mujjo, known for its vegan leather products, unveiled a new collection of eco-friendly nylon tech organizers Thursday.
The Mujjo Tech Kit and Tech Case help keep your growing gaggle of tech accessories tidy and untangled, the company said.
Satechi's new iPhone power bank is also a stand. And a wireless AirPods charger, too. Photo: Satechi
Satechi’s latest power bank wirelessly juices up an iPhone while also serving as an adjustable mobile stand. The Duo Wireless Charger Power Stand can power the handset while its showing a film or just displaying incoming messages.
Plus, the 10,000 mAh battery wirelessly charges AirPods, too.
Apple and its staff support organizations and communities around the world through volunteer work, donations and learning programs. Photo: Apple
Apple and its employees have raised more than $880 million in charitable giving for nearly 44,000 groups all over the world since the Employee Giving program started 11 years ago, the company said Thursday.
As part of that, more than 76,000 Apple workers have put in over 2.1 million volunteer hours. Apple matches employee giving and volunteer hours with donations, too, in addition to its corporate grants to organizations.
Time is running out for the Lightning connector. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The European Parliament picked December 28, 2024 as date after which iPhone and all other handsets sold in the EU must have a USB-C port. That means the iPhone 17 in 2025 will definitely not include a Lightning port.
But unconfirmed reports say Apple will make the change earlier than that.
Images in iCloud Photos will not be scanned for child sexual abuse material. Image: Apple
Apple completely abandoned its previously announced plan to scan iCloud Photos libraries for child sexual abuse material. The company will not go through users’ pictures on its cloud-storage servers looking for CSAM images.
Instead, Apple is going the opposite direction by enabling users to encrypt pictures stored in iCloud Photos.
A touchscreen MacBook might be in development. And it'll have a 20-inch folding display. Photo: Antonio De Rosa/ADR Studio
Apple could be working on a MacBook far larger than the current 16-inch model – a 20.25-inch one is supposedly in development. But don’t picture a standard laptop, as this will supposedly use a folding display.
Such a large screen would make the macOS notebook a productivity powerhouse.
Freeform will soon be available in iOS 16.2, macOS Ventura 13.1 and iPadOS 16.2. Photo: Apple
Apple seeded the iOS 16.2 release candidate to developers Wednesday, taking a huge step toward giving iPhone users access to the Freeform collaboration app, the recently announced Apple Music Sing and other exciting new features.
The iPadOS 16.2 release candidate also went out with nearly the same feature set. Plus, Apple seeded the macOS Ventura 13.1 RC, watchOS 9.2 RC and tvOS 16.2 RC to devs, too.
Apple plans to expand end-to-end encryption for more iCloud services. Photo: Markus Spiske/Unsplash
Apple said Wednesday users are gaining three new security features to protect their data in the cloud, with some available now and some to come. The overall program is called Advanced Data Protection.
The three new functions to help keep data and communications safe are iMessage Contact Key Verification, Security Keys for Apple ID and Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, the company said.
3D first-person shooter Quake 3 can run in Linux on an M1 Mac with the new graphics driver. Screenshot: Alyssa Rosenzweig & Asahi Lina/Asahi Linux Blog
Independent developers working to get Linux running on Apple silicon have made a significant breakthrough — the release of the first graphics driver. This is an important step toward running operating systems other than macOS on Apple’s powerful new computers.
“We’ve been working hard over the past two years to bring this new driver to everyone, and we’re really proud to finally be here,” wrote developers Alyssa Rosenzweig and Asahi Lina in a Wednesday blog post announcing the GPU driver release. “This is still an alpha driver, but it’s already good enough to run a smooth desktop experience and some games.”
Severance nabbed nominations for Best Drama Series and for Adam Scott's acting. Photo: Apple TV+
The Critics Choice Association showered Apple TV+ Tuesday with 10 nominations for the upcoming 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards. They include Best Drama Series nods for workplace psycho-drama Severance and dark comedy-drama Bad Sisters, plus Best Foreign Language Series noms for Pachinko and Tehran.
Nominations honored six series in total. The other two nominations covered acting in prison suspense thriller Black Bird and family drama The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. See more specifics below.
Grab the iPad 10 at its discounted price in any color you like. Photo: Apple
Amazon’s latest deal drops the iPad 10’s price to a much more reasonable $399, a sweet $50 off its retail price. This is the lowest price the tablet has been available for since its launch.
At $449, the new 10.9 iPad occupies an odd place in the iPad lineup. A $50 discount makes it easier to justify the higher price tag.
The Mac mini keeps on ticking but the web dev relies most heavily on a 16-inch M1 MacBook Pro. Photo: [email protected]
In today’s featured computer setup, owned by a web developer, a 2012 Mac mini shares the spotlight with a new 16-inch M1 MacBook Pro.
Before you think, “Wow, the Mac mini must be amazing, competing with that sleek new laptop,” nah, this is more like take-your-great-grandfather-to-work day for the elderly little desktop machine.
It’s around because it still works for light lifting. And it does indeed show impressive longevity.
TSMC will start producing advanced 3nm processors for Apple in a factory in Arizona. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple CEO Tim Cook said Tuesday that his company will buy processors made in Arizona by TSMC, which currently produces Apple’s most sophisticated chips primarily in Taiwan.
Plus, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company revealed that it will pour even more billions into Arizona by adding a second chip factory in the state.
It looks like Apple's car will have a steering wheel after all. Photo: Anna Vi/Unsplash License
Apple’s plan for a completely autonomous vehicle has gone back onto the drawing board, according to a reliable source. The company supposedly is still prepping an electric car but the self-driving capabilities much more limited.
The Apple car could reach customers in about four years.
Developers are getting a lot more options for app pricing. Photo: Apple
Apple said Tuesday the App Store is undergoing “the most comprehensive upgrade to pricing capabilities” since its launch, allowing prices to be set as low as 29 cents and as high as $10,000.
It will start offering developers 700 new price points to apply to the apps they sell, plus new tools to make international selling easier to manage.
Just ahead the holidays, Sabrent offered a new set of solid state drives (SSD) that could be a perfect little gift for any techie on your list — the updated Sabrent Rocket Nano V2.
The redesigned version, no larger than a “fun-sized” candy bar, supports fast data transfer speeds and can store up to 4TB. And they can fit in someone’s pocket.
Joining in with song gets a lot easier with Apple Music Sing. Photo: Apple Music
Apple Music Sing gives you the real-time lyrics you need to sing along to your favorite tracks. The upcoming feature will show the words to songs so you can easily join in. It will even adjust the volume of the original singer so you take the lead.
It’s coming in December to Apple Music subscribers worldwide. The feature will work with millions of songs in the streaming service’s catalog, Apple said Tuesday.
Apple's Self Service Repair Program is now available in the EU. Photo: Apple
Apple has expanded its Self Service Repair program outside the US. Customers in selected European countries can order replacement components for their iPhones and MacBooks directly from the company.
The program is launching in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.
Looking for some new games to try? Here's Apple's own picks for the best in Apple Arcade. Graphic: Apple Arcade
Apple just revealed the 20 titles that made the Apple Arcade Top Games of 2022. At the top is NBA 2K22 Arcade Edition, as well as the revamped version of The Oregon Trail.
The best-of list includes a range of options for many types of players.
Find out what everybody's listening to. Photo: Apple Podcasts
If you’re looking for a new podcast to addict yourself to, you’re in luck. Apple Podcasts unveiled the podcasts, episodes and channels its listeners paid the most attention to in 2022 (and in the case of subscriber shows and channels, paid the most money to, apparently).
Check out how Apple Podcasts sliced and diced its most popular content in the lists below. You might find a great new way to spend off-time during the holidays.
You can get the Azio Cascade 98 mechanical keyboard in standard or slim profiles (slim shown). Photo: Azio
The Los Angeles-based company Azio successfully crowd-funded its Cascade 75 mechanical keyboard on Kickstarter last year. Now it’s back with the Cascade 98, a 98% layout keyboard with a full-sized number pad that comes in slim or regular profiles. It has surpassed its funding goal.
Keychron and others have led the way with low-profile mechanical keyboards that don’t stand as tall as the classics. Azio said their new version is the first one with a full-sized number pad.
What's more valuable than your best friend? Photo: Elkson
Apple’s AirTag tracking device can be a lifesaver, whether you’ve lost something valuable or suffered theft. And what makes AirTag even better? A simple, secure device that protects it and attaches it to your valuable, whether that’s a suitcase or your pet dog.
That would be the Elkson AirTag Holder with Keychain, brand new to the Cult of Mac Store. And for a limited time, you can get the holder and keychain for 47% off the regular price. That’s a savings of $7.