Apple reportedly held talks about buying out Electronic Arts, the company behind the wildly popular Madden series, The Sims series and many more.
But EA has also supposedly held acquisition talks with others, including Disney.
When you want to look good but need to travel light, ditch the compact mirror and slap Casetify’s Mirror case on your iPhone.
Its reflective back will keep you from rushing to the bathroom to ensure your hair is in check, while its shockproof shell protects your iPhone from bumps and scratches. Bag yours today from the Cult of Mac Store.
When Tim Cook and other Apple executive first show off iOS 16 in early June, there’s a good chance it’ll have much in common with a recently released artists’ concept. The new video shows some of the most-anticipated features, including an always-on screen and interactive widgets.
Watch the iOS 16 concept video now for a sneak peek at what might be coming soon to iPhone.
![7 reasons to totally love the 2021 iPad Pro [Review]](https://www.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/48F01919-5E6E-487C-A52F-EB488FF9604D.jpeg "IPad Pro drops back to its lowest price yet")
The M1 iPad Pro just dropped back to the lowest price we’ve seen. Amazon is currently selling the 11-inch model with 128GB of storage for just $699.99 after a $100 discount. (Note that part of that discount shows up at checkout.)
On higher-storage variants, you can score a discount of as much as $200. As usual, there’s no way of knowing how long these deals will last.
Wireless magnetic chargers don’t have much of a reputation for being fun, but a new one features a playful design, at least. Zendure will soon launch preorders for the new SuperMini Go, which features MagSafe-compatible docking and up to 15W of wireless charging power.
A crowdfunding campaign for the pocket-sized power bank starts in June, the company said.
Add an autofocus front camera to the list of improvements expected for the iPhone 14 when it debuts this autumn. This supposedly tripled Apple’s cost for the component.
If the unconfirmed report is true, the upcoming model will be the first iPhone with an auto-focus selfie camera.
Mia, a software developer from Detroit who writes mobile apps, got in touch with Cult of Mac recently to share her MacBook Pro-driven, dual-display workstation.
“I love your setup articles but sometimes they make me feel bad about myself,” she said.
The Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 External SSD includes a touchscreen and hardware encryption to protect user data. Unlock the XTS-AES 256-bit encryption by tapping in a password or numeric passcode onto the touchscreen.
It’s available in capacities up to 1920 GB.
Apple CEO Tim Cook once again shows up on Time‘s list of “The World’s Most Influential People,” which pays tribute to 100 important figures from film, music, politics and global culture in general.
Others on the list include Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Channing Tatum, Mary J. Blige, Kris Jenner and Ron DeSantis.
Apple has hiked the Apple Music subscription price for students in many parts of the world.
The Cupertino company emailed students to inform them about the rise in the subscription price.
Aquara launched its third and most-advanced smart lock for HomeKit and Home Key on Thursday, the D100 Zigbee.
Unlike the previously released N100 Zigbee and A100 Zigbee, which are handle locks, the new D100 is an automatic mortise lock that lets users open a door without pushing a handle or turning a knob.
It’s expected to roll out in more countries soon, but for now you can get it in parts of Asia and the Middle East. You can find more information about its distribution below.
Apple is reportedly looking to expand the production of its devices outside China due to its strict anti-Covid policy.
The Chinese government’s uncompromising zero-covid policy has affected the manufacturing of Apple devices, with shipping times slipping to July for some products.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: That big, flat Apple Watch redesign we expected in 2021 might arrive this year to soothe our lingering disappointment. The latest renders by Ian Zelbo, spurred by a tweet from leaker ShrimpApplePro, make Apple Watch Series 8 look quite appealing.
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 livestream, embedded below.
This week’s show is sponsored by Jamf Now and Squarespace. See below for special offers.
An enhanced version of the Apple Studio Display will reach customers this fall, according to a very reliable source of insider into. This version of the monitor will feature a mini-LED screen, making it look better than the current model that has a standard LCD.
Previously, the display was thought to be coming this summer.
Apple plans to produce an updated version of the HomePod as soon as the fourth quarter of 2022 or the first quarter of 2023, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Friday.
As reliable as Kuo can be, little other information exists beyond speculation. But that’s part of the fun.
A lot of folks are jonesing for an Apple smart speaker that goes beyond the HomePod mini. The original HomePod, while much more expensive, earned a great reputation for sound quality before Apple killed it in 2021. So naturally, Apple fans are interested in a successor, possibly with new features.
The long-rumored Apple AR/VR headset won’t focus on games, according to a trove of information leaking out about the upcoming product. And it won’t emphasize helping designers create VR and AR content.
Much of the development effort seems to have gone into making a communication tool. But the design team has reportedly struggled to live up to Apple’s expectations that it’ll be better than existing headsets.
Las Vegas-based pianist, composer and educator Travis Lohmann reached out to Cult of Mac recently with an intriguing setup that hearkens back to yesteryear but still gets the job done in the here and now. Or in the “hear and now,” if you like.
It’s not every day you see a 9-year-old Mac Pro and an even older 30-inch Cinema Display getting the job done in 2022, but it happens.
Sony brought out its latest earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) Wednesday, the $199.99 LinkBuds S. The consumer electronics giant appears to be going for “Goldilocks” buds here, fitting a super-lightweight option for comfortable, long-term wear just below its flagship WF-1000XM4 ANC earbuds in both price and quality level.
iPhone demand remains strong, according to a respected analyst. This despite the supply chain issues that are slowing production of other Apple products.
The analyst is bullish on Apple, and says its stock price should be much higher than it currently is.
Peter Griffin jumps in a go-kart and races Hank Hill. Or Stan Smith takes on Dale Gribble. These matchups are all part of Warped Kart Racers.
The wacky racing game launched Friday on Apple Arcade. It’s playable on iPhone, Mac and more. And up to eight players can race at once.
A couple of enormous sauropods go head to head. A herd of ceratopsia takes on a predator in a driving snowstorm. A pair of tyrannosaurs share a tender moment. All of these are highlights of the second trailer for Prehistoric Planet, coming soon to Apple TV+.
This five-night docuseries will explore the age of the dinosaurs from the Arctic to the oceans.
Privacy-oriented browser Brave updated its iOS app Wednesday with a new Privacy Hub that summarizes trackers it blocked for a specific website or over a certain period of time, not unlike what Safari’s Privacy Report does.
Apple’s latest AirPods 3 is down to just $149.99 on Amazon — a sweet $29.01 discount from its retail price of $179.
In Cult of Mac‘s AirPods 3 review, we found them to be the best earbuds in Apple’s lineup. And this is the lowest price the earbuds have dropped to in the last month.
An Apple Watch makes a great fitness tracker, but drenching the expensive gadget covered during an intense workout can be worrisome. An athletic band can help, but not all of them are versatile enough to mop up perspiration and keep your wearable out of harm’s way while you flail away.
That’s where Twelve South’s updated ActionSleeve 2 comes in. Not only does it encase your Apple Watch in reinforced fabric, it’s made to wear other places on your body rather than just your wrist. You can put on the upper arm, for example, or anywhere on your arms.
And it’s a good deal right now in the Cult of Mac Store.
Item tracking company Pebblebee launched two new trackers Thursday — the Clip and the Card — that integrate with Apple’s Find My network so you can easily keep tabs on them via iPhone, iPad or Mac.