News - page 23

Update: Introduced at CES 2026, Edifier’s new M90 Comact Active Speakers finally went on sale Wednesday. They’re the company’s first compact active speaker with HDMI eARC for easy use across desktop and TV-based setups. Available in black or white colors, they cost $370 per pair (not cheap, but incredibly versatile). 

Edifier introduced a new lineup of speakers at CES 2026 designed specifically for users who need seamless audio across multiple devices and environments, the China-based audio manufacturer said. 

The collection addresses a growing need among consumers who work, stream, game, and entertain from the same space, often switching between desktop computers, TVs, gaming consoles and mobile devices throughout the day.

Update: Perplexity said in March it would unleash Personal Computer software to work as an artificial intelligence manager for Mac, and now it’s available. 

Today we're releasing Personal Computer.

Personal Computer integrates with the Perplexity Mac App for secure orchestration across your local files, native apps, and browser.

We’re rolling this out to all Perplexity Max subscribers and everyone on the waitlist starting today. pic.twitter.com/kxgFQFo7BB

— Perplexity (@perplexity_ai) April 16, 2026

Original post:

Artificial intelligence search engine company Perplexity just unveiled what it calls Personal Computer. It’s not a new piece of hardware, but a layer of software that transforms a Mac — specifically an M4 Mac mini in the company’s promotions — into a tireless AI employee.

It works around the clock, coordinates other artificial intelligence systems, accesses your local files and can be controlled from anywhere in the world. Mac users might be intrigued. Privacy advocates may not be so sure.

A fatal microlight aircraft accident in 2024 has been linked to production of Apple’s Adventure immersive video series for Vision Pro, according to a new report. And it seems crew members raised safety concerns before the accident. 

Apple hit record recycled material use and other environmental milestones according to its annual Environmental Progress Report, the iPhone giant said Thursday. In 2025, 30% of the material in all Apple products shipped came from recycled sources — a record.

What makes the Apple ecosystem so alluring? Individually, the iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Watch might not be the best devices in their respective categories. Yet, when combined, they form one of the best ecosystems in the world.

It’s this Apple ecosystem — the so-called walled garden — that makes it almost impossible to ditch Apple devices. But what makes it so good?

Supply chain manufacturers have begun producing components for the iPhone 18 Pro’s variable aperture camera system, according to a new report. It marks a significant milestone ahead of the device’s expected September launch — and a first in iPhone history.

All previous iPhone cameras feature fixed apertures. A variable aperture allows more control of light reaching the sensor for sharper, properly exposed images.

Google will give a 50% discount on YouTube Premium if you already pay or upgrade to its AI Premium plan. This brings the price down from $159.99 to $79.99 for the first year.

The offer applies to both existing and new Google subscribers.

Apple will reportedly send a sizable share of its Siri development team to an intensive, multi-week bootcamp to improve their AI coding skills. To be clear, the employees won’t be learning how to make an AI, but how to use AI to develop.

It’s part of a push to finally complete the revamp of Apple’s voice assistant that the company promised years ago.

Google brought its Gemini AI assistant directly to Mac, launching a new native macOS app on Wednesday. The app makes it easy to share what’s on your computer’s screen with the AI.

It’s designed to be more tightly integrated with the user’s workflow than the web version.

Apple will bring two limited-edition Activity challenges to Apple Watch this month, giving users a reason to get moving in the final stretch of April, the iPhone giant said. The occasions are Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22, and International Dance Day on Wednesday, April 29.

Samsung Display will reportedly start mass production of OLED panels for the next iPad Air in January 2027. 

Unlike the iPad Pro, Apple will use a standard OLED panel in the iPad Air to keep costs down.

Rising costs across the global tech supply chain are forcing some of Apple’s biggest competitors — most notably Microsoft and Samsung — to increase prices on smartphones, tablets and notebooks, signaling a potential shift in the competitive landscape for consumer electronics.

Apple has not increased prices. It’s actually recently moved the opposite direction by introducing the most affordable MacBook ever.

Apple is reportedly ramping up its supply of a critical component for the foldable iPhone, even as the broader market for foldable smartphones shows signs of slowing.

According to a supply chain report published Tuesday, the company increased its orders of foldable display panels by roughly 20%, a move that signals growing confidence in the long-rumored device.

A new AI voice recorder promises to solve one of the most persistent frustrations for professionals who live on calls — capturing both sides of a conversation via Bluetooth even when you wear headphones, and without requring bots, subscriptions or complicated setup. It’s the new HiDock P1 AI Voice Recorder.

Plugable Technologies on Tuesday launched the USBC-10IN1E, a new 10-in-1 USB-C hub aimed at delivering docking station-level performance in a compact design. The company says the device stands out in a crowded market by combining high-wattage charging, advanced display support and faster networking in a single accessory.

Despite the advanced features, the new product is quite affordable — which is not surprising for Plugable.

Apple secured a new agreement with Amazon ensuring the satellite features millions of iPhone and Apple Watch users depend on — including Emergency SOS — continue to work, even as the company that currently powers them is set to be acquired, the companies said Tuesday.

“This ensures our users will continue to have access to the vital satellite features they have come to rely on, including Emergency SOS, Messages, Find My, and Roadside Assistance via satellite, so they can stay safe and connected while off the grid,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, in an Amazon press release Tuesday.

If you’ve ever looked at a foldable phone and winced at the visible crease down the middle of the screen, you’ll want to know what Apple has reportedly been working on as its first foldable iPhone approaches.

The industry’s approach to eliminating that unsightly fold line has fundamentally changed — and materials in development go well beyond clever hinge engineering, according to a new report. It’s how Apple’s fast-approaching folding iPhone will crack the crease problem.

Apple’s sleek, simple smart glasses without a display, internally dubbed “N50”, reportedly will launch in 2027. The company is testing four designs for the wearable, in multiple finishes.

The smart glasses supposedly will integrate tightly with the iPhone and Siri to offer an experience like no other.

Anyone still dissatisfied with the amount of RAM in the MacBook Neo should be pleased to learn that the second-generation version of Apple’s hit entry-level notebook will almost certainly boast 50% more RAM.

And that’s not a guess. Apple is already making the processor/RAM combos to go into the notebook, even though the release is not expected for almost another year.

To understand why, you need to know where Apple gets the chips for this popular computer. And once you know that, you’ll realize why we can confidently say the 2027 MacBook Neo will include 12GB of RAM.

Apple no longer accepts orders for certain high-end Mac mini and Mac Studio models. As of Sunday, the company’s online store lists the computers as “currently unavailable.”

This comes after delivery times for most Mac mini and Mac Studio models slipped to a few months.

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: The MacBook Neo looks like a runaway success. And Apple’s clever use of binned chips in the budget laptop is textbook Tim Cook — magically turning slag into gold.

However, the brilliant tactic might have paid off too well.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

• Dummy units of the rumored folding iPhone and iPhone 18 Pro give us a better look at what Apple has planned for later this year. But will the foldable be called the iPhone Fold, the iPhone Ultra or something else? And do we really need a folding iPhone?
• Try to buy a Mac mini or a Mac Studio and you’ll likely be waiting quite some time (up to five months!). What’s going on?
• There’s a simple way to add gorgeous moon shots from the Artemis II mission as wallpaper on your iPhone.
• Griffin gives us an update on his AirPods Max 2 review.
• And finally, we check out a gorgeous Mac Studio setup that’s one of the best we’ve seen.

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.

Apple once again beat all its rivals to stay the world’s top smartphone vendor, according to new data from a market-research firm, with its latest quarterly performance underscoring the strength of the iPhone lineup. This is the first time the iPhone has led the world in Q1, traditionally a weak quarter for the company.

Apple’s smartphone shipments grew 5% year over year, while all of its top competitors declined.

Apple has been busy this week rolling out updates to two of its most popular creative apps — Logic Pro and Pixelmator Pro. The updates bring meaningful new features to musicians, producers, photo editors and designers alike. The rest of the iWork lineup got minor updates, too. 

Update: And just like that, now Lexus enters the fray. Reports indicate the Toyota-owned luxury brand will add support for iPhone car keys in the coming months, according to references found in Apple’s backend code. It joins many others.

From a single BMW model in 2020 to dozens of brands today, Apple Wallet’s digital car key keeps gaining momentum. Could it soon become as standard as a seat belt? It looks to be headed that way, at least — and for good reason. 

Apple will permanently close three of its U.S. retail locations this June — one of which made history as the first Apple Store in the country to unionize — citing deteriorating conditions at the shopping malls that house them, the company said Thursday. 

The closures have drawn swift backlash from the workers’ union. It called the move a deliberate effort to undermine organized labor.