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News - page 45

First Peanuts musical in 35 years comes to Apple TV+

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Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical
The first Peanuts musical in more than three deades, Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical debuts in July.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ will give Peanuts fans something to sing about this summer. Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical premieres July 18, 2025, marking the first musical special featuring Charles Schulz’s beloved characters in over three decades.

Marking Peanuts‘ 75th anniversary, the new special sees Snoopy and the gang bring summer camp nostalgia to life with original songs by Jeff Morrow and Ben Folds.

Apple isn’t as far behind in AI as some might fear

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Apple AI chatbot
A secret Apple project to make an AI chatbot is bearing fruit.
Image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Some Apple executives reportedly think the AI-powered chatbot the company developed in-house is comparable to recent ChatGPT versions. And there’s internal pressure to connect the Siri voice assistant to it.

If true, this shows that while Apple isn’t at the forefront of AI, neither is it languishing at the back of the pack.

New smart speaker looks just like HomePod 2 but tops it

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WiiM Sound smart speaker and WiiM Amp Ultra
New hi-fi gear: WiiM Sound smart speaker paired with WiiM Amp Ultra.
Photo: WiiM

WiiM, a rising star in the affordable audio streaming market, unveiled its first-ever smart speaker last week: WiiM Sound. It looks a lot like HomePod 2 and directly challenges it — and whatever version of it Apple releases next — with an impressive feature set.

WiiM Sound could appeal to audiophiles seeking high-resolution audio in a smart package — at a price that undercuts Apple’s.

Powerful new OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock packs 11 ports

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OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock
Get blazing-fast connectivity with OWC's new Thunderbolt 5 dock.
Photo: OWC

The new 11-in-1 OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock promises to maximize the potential of the latest Thunderbolt 5 technology for computers like M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro, OWC said Monday.

The dock, scheduled to begin shipping in July with a price tag of $329.99, is one of the first comprehensive Thunderbolt 5 solutions available for Apple users looking to expand their connectivity options.

iPhone 17 Air’s small battery might punch above its weight

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iPhone 17 Air render
You might not like iPhone 17 Air's rumored battery capacity.
Photo: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Apple’s upcoming super-slim iPhone 17 Air could weigh just 5.11 ounces, according to a new leak. That would make it one of the lightest smartphones on the market. However, the phone’s thinness could come at the expense of battery life.

The leaker says the device will come with a paltry 2,800mAh battery. But Apple might tap new technology to make that tiny battery last longer than you would expect.

Apple might finally let you ditch Siri for a smarter assistant

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Siri desperately needs some ChatGPT-like smarts
There's a lot Siri doesn't understand. And that's a problem.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple might allow users to replace Siri with another virtual assistant on iPhone, iPad and Mac, according to a new report.

While Apple’s smarter Siri will not arrive until at least next year, Apple users in the European Union might get something even better in the near future.

AirPods Pro 3 might not arrive until 2026

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Of course, if the stock ear tips that come with AirPods Pro 2 may work fine for most people.
You may have to stick to your AirPods Pro 2 for another year.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

The wait for Apple’s next-gen AirPods Pro might stretch out longer than anticipated. According to a respected supply chain analyst, Apple won’t refresh its flagship earbuds until 2026.

Apple blocks Fortnite return to US iPhone App Store [Updated]

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Screenshot promoting
No Fortnite for you, iPhone owners!
Image: Epic Games

UPDATE: Fortnite returned to the U.S. App Store on May 20.


Epic Games’ hope to get Fortnite reinstated on the U.S. iPhone App Store crashed and burned.  Apple used a letter from one of its lawyers to deny the attempt to let iPhone users in the United States install and play the popular game. This is the latest clash in a long-running dispute between the two companies.

Epic claimed Friday that Apple had also blocked Fortnite in Europe, which Apple denies.

New flagship Sony headphones cancel more noise than ever

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Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones on studio console
Sony's new XM6 headphones, mastered by engineers, are good enough for studio work, Sony said.
Photo:

Sony’s newest flagship over-ear headphones, WH-1000XM6, promise the “best noise cancellation” in the industry and seamless wireless connectivity, the company said Thursday. The $450 cans — not cheap but less than AirPods Max’s $549 list price — should appeal to discerning Apple fans.

And Sony enlisted Post Malone as a pitchman for the new headphones, for what that’s worth. Hardly seems necessary, as this series of cans typically sits at or near the top of many best-headphones lists every year.

How to get a brand-new MacBook (even a custom build) for one low monthly price

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Image of a MacBook with the words
With this MacBook subscription plan, it's easy to stay ahead of the upgrade curve.
Photo: Upgraded

If you rely on your MacBook to handle serious workloads — think 3D renders, Xcode builds or 200-tab research sessions — you know the right machine doesn’t come cheap. Luckily, you can finance MacBooks with Upgraded, a convenient upgrade program that makes it easy to get the exact laptop you need, when you need it … without paying thousands upfront. 

With 0% interest financing over 36 months and the option to upgrade every 24 months, the subscription-based service is an ideal option for power users who want the latest Apple silicon without paying a fortune upfront.

Apple brings Sunday Night Soccer to Xfinity for free

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Sunday Night Soccer on Xfinity
Beginning this week, Xfinity customers can watch Sunday Night Soccer at no extra charge.
Photo: Comcast

Xfinity customers can enjoy the action of Sunday Night Soccer for no extra charge starting this week. The show brings a weekly, featured Major League Soccer game throughout the season.

The same games are also available for Apple TV+ subscribers, as well as those with an MLS Season Pass from Apple.

Price is right on 2 sleek new keyboard-mouse combos

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Seenda keyboard and mouse combos
Seenda's Creative keyboard and mouse combo is packed with style and color.
Photo: Seenda

Two stylish new Seenda keyboard and mouse combos offer seamless compatibility with Mac, iPad and iOS devices, the company said Thursday. The premium SKM64-3 Bluetooth combo and budget-friendly Creative SK73-3 wireless combo both deliver style and functionality for Apple users seeking alternatives to Apple’s peripherals.

EU iPhone apps that don’t use Apple payment system get a ‘scare screen’

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App Store scare screen
Is this a fair warning?
Photo: Victor Maric/Cult of Mac

By E.U. law, Apple must let iPhone applications include payment systems other than Apple’s own. But in a move that seems calculated to convince customers and developers to avoid these alternatives, there’s now a “scare screen” on applications that do not offer Apple’s payment system in the European Union version of the App Store.

CarPlay Ultra finally arrives with complete dashboard makeover (for some)

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CarPlay Ultra
With CarPlay Ultra, content populates all the driver’s screens, including the instrument cluster.
Photo: Apple

After a five-month delay from its original timeline, Apple’s next-generation CarPlay experience is finally hitting the road. Dubbed “CarPlay Ultra,” the deeply integrated system that Apple first previewed in 2022 has begun rolling out to Aston Martin vehicles in the United States and Canada, with more automakers soon to follow.

Apple Music wants to make switching from other music services easier

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Spotify to Apple Music migration.
A new tool from Apple makes migrating from Apple Music to Spotify easier.
Photo: Apple/Spotify/Rajesh Pandey

A new tool from Apple will make it easier to import your playlists and library from Spotify to Apple Music. As part of a limited rollout, the company currently offers this feature in Australia and New Zealand.

Apple joined forces with SongShift, a popular playlist transfer tool, to bring this feature to life.

Apple Maps adds restaurant, hotel, golf course reviews from pros

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Apple Maps reviews from pros
Apple Maps can advise you on where to go, not just how to get there.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

The listings in Apple Maps for restaurants, hotels, golf courses and more got rankings and reviews from expert sources starting on Wednesday. This includes information from Michelin Guide, Golf Digest and others.

These join the reviews already in the app that were submitted by regular users, and the ones brought over from Yelp.

visionOS 3 may let you scroll hands-free using your eyes

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Vision Pro arrives in Asia
visionOS 3 could be a big upgrade.
Photo: Apple

The next major update to visionOS could include eye scrolling, for navigating long lists and webpages entirely hands-free. The Vision Pro already uses eye- and hand-tracking for navigating its interface; if true, this would take it to the next level.

Scrolling is one of the most fundamental interactions with a smartphone. But it hasn’t translated as well to the Vision Pro, where you need to pinch two fingers together and move your hand.

If visionOS 3 lets you scroll simply by looking at the bottom of a window, that could be a powerful new feature of the headset.

What to expect from the 20th anniversary iPhone

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20th anniversary iPhone concept
The twentieth anniversary iPhone might use a design that breaks away from today’s models.
AI concept: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly plans to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the iPhone with a new model that introduces some of the most significant design changes to the handset since the iPhone X. That includes saying goodbye to the Dynamic Island.

The upcoming model should break the iPhone design out of the rut it’s been in for too many years.

iPadOS 19 wish list: 5 features we’re hoping for

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M1 iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard to illustrate an article on iPadOS 19 features wish list
iPadOS 19 must allow the iPad to live up to its full potential.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Rumors point to iPadOS 19 blurring the line between the iPad and Mac. With Apple reportedly focusing on “productivity, multitasking and app window management,” we put together a very specific iPadOS 19 wish list for features that could unlock the full potential of Apple’s tablets.

With WWDC25 just around the corner, here’s what we want to see in iPadOS 19.

Apple Music’s Sound Therapy enhances songs to help you focus, relax and sleep

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Apple Music Sound Therapy
Sound Therapy takes familiar music and ups its therapeutic value.
Photo: Apple

In partnership with Universal Music Group, Apple Music on Tuesday launched Sound Therapy, a collection of specially enhanced tracks designed to help listeners achieve wellness through better focus, deeper relaxation and improved sleep.

It combines the power of your favorite music with cognitive science to improve daily well-being, the companies said in a press release.

“Given Apple’s leadership at the intersection of health and technology, the launch of Sound Therapy represents an important validation of our innovative, science-led Sollos initiative,” said Michael Nash, UMG’s executive vice president and chief digital officer. “We look forward to working closely with the team at Apple to expand the ways that music can be harnessed to improve the wellness benefits for its users.”

Add a whopping 5 monitors to any Mac with this new dock

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Plugable UD-7400PD
The Plugable UD-7400PD means your Mac can have five additional screens.
Photo: Plugable

If your job or your dream setup requires connecting five external monitors to your Mac, you need Plugable’s UD-7400PD. It supports up to four 4K displays and one 8K display… even on MacBooks that are supposed to be limited to one external screen. No rival dock can match that.

As a bonus, the dock adds USB-A ports, an Ethernet port and more.

New ultra-thin micro-speaker could reshape smartwatch experience

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xMEMS Labs Sycamore-W micro speaker
The new speaker is incredibly thin, taking up less space in devices like smartwatches.
Photo: xMEMS Labs

A tiny new silicon micro-speaker could transform future wearables — like Apple Watch and other smartwatches — by dramatically reducing thickness while improving audio quality, xMEMS Labs said Tuesday. It unveiled Sycamore-W, an ultra-thin micro speaker engineered for wrist-worn devices. It could make more room in devices as new features like AI interactions become more prevalent.

“Sycamore-W redefines audio for smart watches, combining compact design with robust performance to meet the demands of next-generation wearables,” said Mike Housholder, xMEMS VP of Marketing and Business Development. “As the wrist becomes a key interface for ears-free, hands-free AI interactions, Sycamore-W empowers manufacturers to deliver premium audio in smaller, lighter more durable devices.”

2 reasons why demand for iPads is very strong

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iPad 11 colors
The launch of the iPad 11 helped buoy tablet shipments in Q1.
Photo: Apple

iPad shipments shot up 14% year over year during the first three months of 2025, according to a market analysis firm. That marks the fourth quarter in a row with an increase in iPad demand.

Replacing tablets bought years ago during the pandemic is only one of the reasons for the continuing strong growth.