This full-sized wireless keyboard goes for $45. Photo: Keychron
For years Keychron made its bones on good mechanical keyboards. Now it’s jumping into the scissor-switch game with a pair of Keychron ultra-slim keyboards that are direct Magic Keyboard competitors.
They looks the part, include solid features and beat Apple on price by a mile.
Gallo Acoustics Micro Speaker is small, but it packs a sonic punch. Photo: Gallo Acoustics
Some people don’t amp up the sound in their computer setups simply because they lack room for the speakers. So they just use their computer or monitor speakers. But what if somebody made tiny but powerful speakers that could fit almost anywhere? Somebody did — Gallo Acoustics Micro Speakers. And today’s Mac Studio setup uses them for rich sound.
AI could finally give us the Siri we deserve. Photo: Cult of Mac/Nadezhda Moryak
As a part of its AI upgrade, Siri in iOS 18 will reportedly enable control of individual apps through your voice. Apple has supposedly upgraded its voice assistant’s underlying architecture using LLMs to achieve this.
Additionally, Apple will process many basic AI tasks on-device in iOS 18 for faster response and a better user experience.
Get ready for summer camp and wilderness hijinks with the Peanuts gang. Photo: Apple TV+
Attention Beagle Scouts: Get ready for summer camp with the Camp Snoopy series trailer Apple TV+ dropped Wednesday. The Peanuts gang heads off to the woods soon. Kids and parents alike might get a kick out of it.
Finally, you can overcrowd your setup with tons of external displays! Photo: Satechi
The new Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station with DisplayLink uses DisplayLink software to enable Mac users to connect with up to four external monitors, in addition to accessing 96W power delivery for a MacBook and realizing blazing-fast Thunderbolt 4 data transfer speeds, the company said Thursday. If you’re looking for a versatile port hub to expand your Mac’s connectivity, check out this 6-port hub from Zagg.
Apple Music features a WWDC24 playlist to get you in the mood. Photo: Apple
With Apple’s massive annual software confab known as WWDC24 coming up fast on June 10, the iPhone giant decided it’s time to rock out with a special WWDC24 Apple Music playlist. The WWDC24 Hello list of tunes features music by Billie Eilish, Good Neighbours, Glass Animals and other artists.
Check it out below! This probably won’t be as controversial as the streamer’s top 100 albums list and its surprising No. 1 pick.
Carrot Weather 6.0 arrives with a raft of new features. And with rising sea levels, it may need a raft. Photo: Carrot Weather
The latest major update to the popular and snarky Carrot Weather app brings a delightful array of new features and improvements. It adds a dynamic “garden that grows over time” as part of a redesigned interface, along with line charts for hourly and daily forecasts, integrated weather news from around the world and more.
But of course it will still call you a “meatbag” and act surprised you’re still alive if you haven’t opened it lately. New Carrot Weather 6.0 is now available for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro.
Logitech MX Keys S Combo for Mac includes a new keyboard and mouse for your desktop.
Mac users in the market for a new desktop keyboard have new options from Logitech. There are small and large models and an ergonomic one, too. Plus a mouse.
The additions to the lineup include MX Keys S for Mac, MX Keys S Combo for Mac, MX Anywhere 3S for Mac, MX Keys Mini for Mac (in Space Gray), and Ergo Series Wave Keys for Mac.
Is Apple about to bring Apple TV+ and maybe more straight to Android users? Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
In a sign Apple TV+ may yet arrive for Android users — meaning hell must be entirely coated in ice — Cupertino is looking to hire a senior engineer to build a TV and sports app for the smartphone platform, according to a new report.
Comcast now offers StreamSaver with three top streaming services bundled together. Photo: Apple/Netflix/NBC
Streaming TV fans now have the option to bundle Apple TV+ with Netflix and Peacock. And Xfinity StreamSaver is only $15 per month, a savings of 35% off getting the services separately.
It is a significant new option for cordcutters who want to save money.
Since Apple News+ launched in March 2019, its subscription growth has been impressive. Photo: Apple
The Apple News+ service is growing its subscription rate about four times as fast as major news sites like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, according to a new report.
Hey, when you sell the hardware, you have an advantage in attracting users’ eyeballs to content, too, right?
Heads up: We're changing the way external links open on the site. Photo: Cult of Mac
A note to Cult of Mac readers: We’re changing the way external links open on the site. Instead of opening in the same tab, external links will now open in a new tab.
In the last few years, opening external links in new tabs has become a widespread practice in digital publishing. Many of the web’s most influential sites, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Reddit and Quora, open external links in a new tab.
Watch as a water cannon blasts an iPhone. Photo: Marques Brownlee
Popular tech influencer Marques Brownlee shared a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday from his visit to Apple labs that do durability testing like iPhone water testing. You’ve probably never seen iPhones this wet. And you’ve probably never subjected yours to such punishment.
Along the way, he fit in an interesting video chat with Apple hardware honcho John Ternus about product reliability versus repairability, below.
Here's the car the sheriff's department tracked with the help of an errant AirPod earbud. Photo: Martin County Sheriff's Office
AirPods are great earphones, but did you know they can also be crime fighters? In Florida, a dislodged AirPod tracked an alleged hit-and-run driver after a bike-riding teen’s head went through his passenger window and the earbud popped out and got stuck under a floormat.
Location tracking on that little earbud led straight to an arrest on felony charges.
A user joked that this setup is so clean it looks like artificial intelligence generated the image. Photo: [email protected]
When one commenter saw today’s Mac Studio workstation, they said “Setup so clean it looks AI generated. I like it.” Well, we also like the Mac Studio and custom PC setup, especially for its innovative use of a portable display alongside its main external display, which is a killer gaming monitor we’ve never seen before.
This rendering shows the unusual tiered-pyramid roof design of the new store. Photo: Apple
Apple continues its retail expansion in Southeast Asia with its first store in Malaysia — Apple The Exchange TRX. It’s set to open June 22 in Kuala Lumpur at The Exchange TRX mall. And you should check out the roof on this thing. It looks like a tiered pyramid.
Apple The Exchange TRX will be Apple’s sixth store in Southeast Asia. And it already has wallpapers for your device screens.
The roof and parts of the wall come off this thing so you can access the detailed interior. Photo: Legotruman
Just when it seemed like Lego had finally represented all cool things with its complex sets, along comes a fascinating new Apple Store design. But it’s not officially Lego yet. It’s a fan submission to the Lego Ideas website that could go into production if enough people support it.
The details in this thing are incredible. Seems like it’d be a lot of fun to build. But first Lego and Apple will have to sign off on it.
Apple confirmed the WWDC24 Keynote for June 10 at 10 a.m. Pacific, among other details. Photo: Apple
Apple’s much-anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC24) will kick off with a 10 a.m. Pacific keynote address on June 10, followed by the Platforms State of the Union address at 1 p.m. Pacific, Apple confirmed Tuesday. Along with the WWDC24 schedule information, it also presented the finalists for the Apple Design Awards it will bestow at the show.
As usual, the conference will highlight what’s new and upcoming with the company’s software ecosystem.
You can use Find My on your iPhone or another device to track the card. Photo: Nomad
The slim new Nomad Tracking Card works with Apple’s Find My app on your devices and recharges via MagSafe to help you keep tabs on your wallet, purse or other valuables, Nomad said Tuesday.
The credit card-sized tracker goes for $40 individually or $120 for a four-pack.
You add extra screen protection and you save about $20. Photo: Mujjo
In a new offer, when you buy any iPhone 15 case or magnetic wallet, you get a free glass screen protector, Mujjo said Tuesday. The protectors normally sell for about $20.
The Apple Hearing Study's tinnitus update sounded off about the condition's prevalence and characteristics. Photo: Apple
In one of the largest surveys on tinnitus so far, University of Michigan researchers participating in the Apple Hearing Study released data and insights Tuesday that could help lead to future treatment.
Tinnitus is the perception of sound, often ringing, that others do not hear.
“The Apple Hearing Study gives us an opportunity that was not possible before to improve our understanding of tinnitus across demographics, aiding current scientific knowledge that can ultimately improve management of tinnitus,” said Rick Neitzel, a University of Michigan School of Public Health professor of environmental health sciences.
iPhone sales in China reportedly spiked by 52%. Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
iPhone shipments apparently bounced back sharply in China in recent months. Apple reportedly saw a 52% increase in shipments following heavy discounts by third-party retailers.
Since the beginning of 2024, Apple has seen a double-digit decline in iPhone demand in China. A resurgent Huawei also made things difficult for Apple, as the Chinese company registered a sales growth of 69.9% in the first quarter.
This concept could be an early glimpse of the MacBook of the future. Concept: Astro HQ
Apple is developing a MacBook with a folding touchscreen that might come with either a 20.25-inch or an 18.8-inch panel, according to a trusted analyst. And new info from the analyst indicates the slightly smaller is more likely.
In addition to the size, it’ll have another immediately noticeable advantage over current foldable displays: eliminating the visible crease is reportedly one of Apple’s goals.
In this shot from a video showing the user's display, BenQ demonstrates color accuracy. Photo: BenQ
For folks who work with color, like graphic designers, a monitor’s color accuracy becomes crucial. Today’s M1 Max MacBook Pro user really likes their BenQ 4K display for its fantastic color reproduction in photo and video editing.