Pitaka MagEZ Case 2 for iPad Pro is both stylish and protective. Photo: Pitaka
The new Pitaka MagEZ Case 2 for iPad Pro fuses stylish design and tough protection for your tablet, the company said Wednesday. And what’s more, you can use it more like a desktop computer or laptop with a highly functional magnetic case like this one.
This keyboard and trackpad tray comes from Etsy. Another example would be the Twelve South MagicBridge. Photo: [email protected]
Many folks building a computer setup love a good trick for compartmentalizing a bit — essentially, any way they can neaten up the space in a way that enhances productivity. That could include something we don’t see often enough in setups: multi-use keyboard trays. Today’s Mac Studio user proudly displays a wooden one for Magic Keyboard mini and Magic Trackpad 2. And you can find many others out there, like the popular Twelve South MagicBridge.
Trays like that give your keyboard and trackpad — or/or mouse, in some cases — one modular place to live, and you can easily move the pair or trio around as one unit or hold it in your lap.
Apple Music users might be able to put a sweet AI-generated image on their playlists. Image: Apple
iPhone users could use AI to create their own artwork for playlists in Apple Music, according to code reportedly found in the latest iOS 18 beta. The feature would use Apple Intelligence’s ability to generate images based on simple instructions.
If true, this is be one of multiple new artificial intelligence capabilities coming to iPhone.
iPhone 17 could get a variable aperture system for the primary camera. Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple could add a variable aperture to the iPhone 17’s primary camera. A variable aperture, commonly found in DSLRs and other high-end cameras, would allow the sensor to limit the light intake for higher-quality images.
It also would enable a better depth-of-field effect, with a nice background blur when taking close-up shots of a subject.
iPhone Fold might look something like this concept. Screenshot: ConceptsiPhone
Apple is reportedly moving ahead with making an iPhone with a folding screen. If multiple unconfirmed reports from Tuesday turn out to be true, the first foldable iPhone could hit the market in 2026.
An iPhone Fold would be the first significant change to the standard “slab” design of iOS handsets since, well, ever.
"Hey Siri, am I here to f***ing amuse you?" Photo: Apple
July 23, 2012: Looking for the perfect spokesman for its new virtual assistant Siri, Apple turns to the director behind some of Hollywood’s most violent gangster movies. A new ad shows Martin Scorsese using Siri voice commands on his iPhone to juggle his busy schedule.
One in a string of celebrity-studded ads showcasing the Apple’s recently released virtual assistant, it ranks among the best.
So many Android apps belong in the wastebasket, not on Google Play. Photo: Google/Apple/Cult of Mac
The number of Android applications on Google Play is likely to drop after Google updated its Minimum Functionality policy to block apps that “only have limited functionality and content.”
Unlike the experience in Apple’s App Store, Android users must wade knee-deep through useless apps to find anything worthwhile. The new policy should remedy this … assuming Google enforces it.
While this is a prototype, headphones makers can start incorporating the 2-way design starting in September, Ampacs said. Photo: Ampacs
The first over-ear headphones with solid-state micro speakers are almost here, AMPACS said Tuesday. It noted reference-design prototypes with xMEMS solid-state micro speakers are now available. That brings us one big step closer to headphone makers putting it in their new headphones. That could start after the production version of the design becomes available to them in September. Before now, the new micro speakers were limited to earbuds.
xMEMS Labs’ patented 2-way module architecture uses solid-state micro speakers for mids and highs and a dynamic driver for bass. It improves spatial audio accuracy and reduces weight for gamers compared to conventional single-driver cans, AMPACS said. The new reference design is a cost-effective advance that could figure into multiple audio brands’ headphones.
Ahead of the latest news, Cult of Mac conducted an interview with folks behind the development from xMEMS Labs in May. After all, you have to wonder if some future AirPods Max or Beats cans might incorporate the technology (for the record, xMEMS told Cult of Mac it’s open to working with all partners, but confirmed none).
Safari is getting some big improvements in iOS 18. Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac
Apple is updating Safari this year for a cleaner, faster web browsing experience on iPhones, iPads and Macs. While the enhanced Reader mode and Highlights stand out as key additions to Safari in iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, several other changes will come to Apple’s web browser as well.
Below we’ll look at all the improvements coming to Safari later this year.
Don't look for CarPlay support in any Rivian EV. Photo: Rivian
The CEO of Rivian says his company has no intention of ever adding Apple CarPlay to its electric vehicles. This means drivers can’t plug their iPhone into an R2, R3, etc., and gain easy access to Apple Music, Maps, etc., as they can in so many other car models.
CEO R.J. Scaringe says the decision was about keeping control of the user experience, but money has played a role in similar decisions.
If the claim is true, iPhone SE 4 would be the first SE with an OLED display, not to mention a bigger size overall. Photo: Filipe Alves
The upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE might see a pretty big size increase and become the first SE handset to boast an OLED screen, according to the latest rumors. Other rumored upgrades for the budget iPhone include a powerful 48MP camera and more memory so it can run Apple Intelligence features.
Those are some big changes for an entry-level handset folks thought might be on the chopping block not long ago.
We got an early look at the specs for iPhone 17 Slim. Photo: Cult of Mac
A super-slim version of the iPhone 17 could stand out as the most expensive option in Apple’s lineup, even though it wouldn’t come with all the features of the Pro models in that same series.
Other specifications for 2025’s iPhone 17 series supposedly leaked out over the weekend as well.
Fans of pro baseball and soccer are getting some new goodies. Photo: Cult of Mac/Apple
A Monday update to the Apple Sports app brings Major League Baseball pitching data as well as support for Leagues Cup soccer action, coming up just days from now.
Apple TV+ costs billions to produce, but there are reportedly budget cuts. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple reportedly wants to reduce the amount of money it pours into its Apple TV+ streaming service. And the company also wants to get more bang for its buck.
The result likely will be fewer Apple TV+ shows, and decreased spending on marquee projects. Plus, underperforming series can expect to get canceled more quickly.
This well-equipped setup features an Audio-Technica microphone with shock mount on an Elgato arm. Photo: [email protected]
If you want to sound good on video calls or podcasts, you need a good mic like the Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ Microphone with shock mount in today’s MacBook Pro setup. And the user can move it around easily enough because he places it on a low-profile Elgato microphone arm.
Sunny is an Apple TV+ mystery/thriller/dark comedy Photo: Apple TV+
Sunny, a mystery thriller with a darkly comic bent starring Rashida Jones and a robot, quickly became one of the most popular shows on streaming after premiering on Apple TV+ earlier in July.
But it’s not even the most-watched Apple series. That honor belongs to the crime drama Presumed Innocent, which has drawn a big audience for weeks.
The BSOD is often the first indication that a Windows user is about to have a very bad day. Screenshot: Microsoft
A faulty Windows security update crashed Windows computers across the world on Friday. Any PC that installed the update got hit with the infamous Windows Blue Screen of Death, leading to planes being grounded, disruptions at banks, stores that can’t make transactions, and many more problems.
As a macOS user, there’s no reason for you to feel left out. You can install the BSOD as a wallpaper on your Mac and pretend to join in.
Versions of the Eve Weather station have you covered for HomeKit use, with or without a hub. Photo: Eve Systems
A new version of the Eve Weather Connected Weather Station supports the Matter home-automation standard even as the company maintains a HomeKit-only version for those without a Matter hub, Eve Systems said Thursday. Eve Weather keeps you informed of conditions outside and can interact with HomeKit and other platforms to set automations. That could include adjusting the thermostat and turning on lights, or even telling Siri to do so.
"Boundless" premieres with Hot Air Balloons,” transporting viewers to Cappadocia, Türkiye. Photo: Apple
Apple unveiled a slate of new Immersive Videos for Vision Pro in the form of series and films Thursday. So users of the AR/VR headset are in for some new audio-visual treats. And some are available now.
“Apple Immersive Video is a groundbreaking leap forward for storytelling, offering Apple Vision Pro users remarkable experiences with an unparalleled sense of realism and immersion,” said Tor Myhren, Apple’s vice president of Marketing Communications.
The user has lots of external displays. But he considers the overarching desk lamp crucial. Photo: [email protected]
The computer setup we feature today sports a powerful Mac Studio desktop computer and an impressive phalanx of external displays, yet commenters’ attention focused mainly on the monitor light. It’s actually an EppieBasic LED Desk Lamp rather than a typical monitor light bar, but it serves the same purposes. The user obliged commenters and explained why he loves it.
Prime Day is over but the savings haven't stopped. Image: Tamanna Rumee/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac
Amazon Prime Day officially ran July 16 and 17, but it’s not over yet, as Amazon extended many big bargains on Apple products. Tons of goods from Apple and others are discounted. See our selection of the best deals on AirPods (and Apple subsidiary Beats), AirTags, Apple Watch, iPads, MacBooks, Mac mini and more below. Return to this page for updates (and beware that deals can change suddenly with supply fluctuations, so you may click through to find updated pricing or sold-out items in some cases).
UPDATE: Amazon extended a host of Prime Day deals on Apple products into Thursday and Friday and even into Saturday, so you can still shop many of the items below! Items with full strikethroughs represent deals no longer available.
This series starring Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram looks a lot weirder than expected. Photo: Apple TV+
At first glance a Baltimore crime story set in 1966, the limited series Lady in the Lake soon turns into a surreal nightmare, as shown in the trailer Apple TV+ dropped for it recently. As the streamer said in press materials, the show, starring Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram, turns into a “feverish noir thriller and an unexpected tale about the price women pay for their dreams.”
So it’s a bizarre and arresting trailer. It includes “live performances” that are like fever dreams. The seven-part series debuts with its first two episodes on Friday, July 19.
Update: The new Apple TV+ drama series Lady in the Lake is now streaming, as of Friday. Reviews look a bit mixed — with some offering high praise for Portman in her TV debut — but you should see for yourself and watch the new show here.
The dreaded BSOD struck thousands of Windows machines globally after a faulty CrowdStrike update. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Many thousands of Windows computers are showing the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) at boot today, impacting banks, airlines, TV broadcasters, supermarkets and many more businesses worldwide, according to reports. A faulty Windows security update from CrowdStrike knocked affected PCs and servers offline, forcing them into a recovery boot loop so machines can’t start properly. Note that the outage, causing headaches for IT admins everywhere, does not affect Mac or Linux machines.