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Apple’s October Mac event is on … sort of

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Apple October 2024 event invitation
An invitation went out to watch out for Apple product announcements all next week.
Photo: Apple

Apple let the world know Thursday that its much-anticipated October event won’t be a traditional one. Instead, it’ll be a week of announcements of new products via press releases.

What the PR blitz will bring is supposed to be a secret, of course. But we already know much of what’s likely coming: MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac mini, all running the M4 processor, plus the iPad 11.

Mujjo MaizCase for iPhone gets right what Apple FineWoven got wrong [Review] ★★★★☆

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Mujjo MaizCase review★★★★☆
The handsome case offers a snug fit and a good grip. Shown here with iPhone 16 Pro.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

In the ever-evolving world of smartphone accessories, Mujjo MaizCase for iPhone stands out as a compelling alternative to traditional leather for anyone looking for a blend of sustainability, style and protection. In this Mujjo MaizCase review, I’ll go into the various reasons why.

As Apple moves away from its traditional leather cases — with a stumble into the unpopular FineWoven material — Mujjo steps in with an eco-friendly alternative that delivers premium feel and functionality.

The iPhone’s haptic keyboard is fantastic: Here’s how to turn it on

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Turn On The Clicky Keyboard
Get a clicky keyboard on your phone, too.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Studies show that a haptic keyboard improves touchscreen typing speed and input accuracy, but very few people know you can enable it on your iPhone.

Android phones years ago had haptic keyboards, but without a precision vibration motor, the haptic feedback was too slow to complete the illusion. With the Taptic Engine — hardware in every iPhone since the iPhone 6s that can simulate all kinds of vibrating textures — Apple created a perfectly convincing effect to enable the haptic keyboard way back in iOS 16.

Leaving the keyboard click sounds on in public is a minor social faux pas, but you really do type better when you have some sort of feedback for hitting the keys. It feels incredible. I turned it on years ago, and every time I type something in on a friend’s phone without it enabled, it feels broken. You can’t go back once you turn it on — it’s that great.

Read on to see where to enable it.

iOS 18.2 finally makes changing default iPhone apps a snap

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iOS 18.2 beta 1 lets iPhone users change additional default apps.
iOS 18.2 beta 1 lets iPhone users change additional default apps.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

iOS 18.2 beta 1, which went to developers on Wednesday, includes a new section in Settings that lets users specify which applications to set as their defaults for handling email, messages, phone calls and more. In some cases, setting this simply gets easier. In others, changing the default app previously wasn’t possible at all.

We already knew this change would happen in Europe, but Apple made it clear Wednesday that it’ll be available worldwide.

Apple plans early-2025 M4 MacBook Air refresh, delays next Mac Studio

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M4 MacBook Air coming
Slim new MacBook Air models will pack M4 chips to handle Apple Intelligence features.
Photo: Apple

While some M4 Macs may arrive in the next week, Apple also gears up for a bigger expansion of its M4 chip rollout, including the M4 MacBook Air coming in early 2025, according to a new report. However, it may push back launch plans for the next Mac Studio desktop computer a few months into next year, amid other release plans next spring. Those include a redesigned iPhone SE and a new entry-level iPad (11th generation). If you’re curious about the Mac M4 lineup and its expected features, take a look at this in-depth coverage.

If you’re wondering when will iPhone SE 4 come out, speculation suggests a release could be just around the corner.

Beta testing begins for iOS 18.2 with Image Playground, Genmoji, more new AI features

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Genmoji are custom emoji you can create in iOS 18.
iOS 18.2 beta 1 gives developers a chance to test Genmoji and more.
Image: Apple

Apple seeded the initial beta of iOS 18.2, macOS Sequoia 15.2 and iPadOS 8.2 to developers on Wednesday, giving them their first opportunity to test the Image Playground app, Genmoji and more. Also on the list is perhaps the most controversial feature of Apple Intelligence: optional ChatGPT access.

Expect testing to end and the full launch before the end of the year.

Apple and Goldman Sachs hit with $90 million in fines for Apple Card mistakes

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Apple and Goldman Sachs fined over Apple Card
Apple and Goldman Sachs don't like CFPB's findings, but they plan to comply.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) imposed nearly $90 million in combined penalties on Apple and Goldman Sachs, the agency said Wednesday. The fines punish widespread customer service failures and misleading practices affecting Apple Card users. And the Apple Card fines for Apple and Goldman Sachs add up to some serious bank, too.

The enforcement action comes after an investigation revealed “significant breakdowns” in dispute handling and deceptive marketing of interest-free payment plans, CFPB said. Apple and Goldman Sachs didn’t much like the findings but pledged compliance.

M3 MacBook Air rides alongside ultra-wide external display [Setups]

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monitor arm laptop tray
Some external monitor arms come with a laptop tray for your MacBook.
Photo: [email protected]

We see more laptop-based computer setups using the machine in clamshell (mode) on a vertical stand than we see setups with open laptops. But they’re both pretty popular options. Today’s M3 MacBook Air sits on a tray attached to the same arm that holds the ultra-wide external display. So they float together above the desk. That monitor arm laptop tray situation wouldn’t work for everyone, but it’s a cool way to add a second display when you need one (and you have an external keyboard so you don’t have to use the laptop’s).

Apple could soon end production of Vision Pro headset

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All the stuff that comes in the Vision Pro package arranged on a table
Apple soon might have all the Vision Pro inventory it’ll ever need.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly might end production of the Vision Pro by the end of the year. That doesn’t mean the mixed-reality headset is about to be discontinued, however.

Still, Cupertino apparently now has its focus on the cheaper Vision version that could launch in 2025.

Big surprise: Severance season 2 teaser is weird as hell [Apple TV+ trailer]

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Severance season 2 teaser trailer
This season two promo image has been out for a while. The new teaser trailer gives a clue as to why he's carrying balloons with his face on them.
Photo: Apple TV+

Fans of hit Apple TV+ series Severance — call it a surreal workplace thriller — would expect nothing less than to have their heads exploded by the season two trailer. And without too much exaggeration, that’s pretty much what they get with the video Apple TV+ dropped on YouTube Wednesday.

It leaves you with nothing but tantalizing questions. Like: What the hell are they doing? Well, whatever it is, we want in. The January 17 streaming date can’t come soon enough. Watch the teaser trailer below.

Record and transcribe your phone calls with iOS 18.1

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Image showing the transcription of call recording on an iPhone, with the caption, “Take Note of This Feature”
Native call recording has been a long time coming.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

It’s only taken 17 years, but iPhone call recording is finally here. In iOS 18.1, you can record a phone call on your iPhone for future reference. If your device supports Apple Intelligence, you’ll get transcriptions of the phone calls, too.

This feature is a great way to refer back to a previous conversation. Who said what? What date did they say? What exactly did you agree to?

If you used a shady call recording app before, you can bid it adieu. There’s a convenient button built right into the Phone app; and you can refer back to your recordings in Notes. Here’s how it all works.

Meet friends, track kids, send your ETA: How to use Find My

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Image of Find My location sharing on iPhone with a crowded city street, captioned “Find The Whole Fam”
Find My is the built-in way to share location on iPhone.
Image: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Location sharing is an incredibly versatile feature of iOS that makes coordinating with others much easier. Whether you’re meeting up with someone, exploring a new place, or spending the day out with friends, it’s a breeze to share your location. This feature is especially helpful in large public spaces, such as malls, amusement parks, and stadiums. If you’re wondering how does sharing location work on iPhone, you can check out this detailed guide: Everything You Need to Know About Location Sharing in iOS.

Giving directions on precisely where to pick up someone along a street block or in a parking lot is made much easier by sending a pin in an iMessage chat. With Family Sharing, I can see if my wife is on her way home without first sharing her ETA in Apple Maps. Another benefit is that I can use Find My to ping her phone if it’s lost in the house.

Here’s how to use location sharing.

Price drop: Elevate your iPad with an adjustable 8-port docking stand

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A multifunctional 8-port iPad stand and tablet docking station.
This tablet stand's array of ports can improve your iPad's connectivity for only $55.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

UGR Tech’s 8-in-1 Tablet Docking Stand is an adjustable tablet stand with built-in ports for charging, data transfer, screen mirroring and more, all attached to an adjustable tablet mount. Constructed of a tough aluminum alloy, this docking station for iPads and other tablets looks modern — and can take some wear and tear during transit.

Instead of dropping $69 on this versatile iPad accessory, you can get this tablet docking stand for $49.97.

iPad mini 7 buyers should install this update ASAP

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iPad mini 7 in hand
iPadOS 18.0.1 is out for iPad mini 7 owners to install.
Photo: Apple

When the iPad mini 7 reaches customers on Wednesday morning, they should expect to update to iPadOS 18.0.1 as part of setting up the tablet.

This update removes bugs in the operating system and became available for other iPad models several weeks ago.

Great-looking portable display does double duty as USB-C hub [Review] ★★★★

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Plugable 15.6” USB-C Portable Display review★★★★
You might not need a USB-C hub if you use this great-looking portable monitor.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Plugable 15.6” USB-C Portable Display connects to MacBook or iPad to add more screen space, but that’s only the start: it’s also a hub with a pair of high-speed USB-C ports available for external drives, a keyboard, etc.

As a person who regularly works outside of the office with an iPad Pro, I’m more than qualified to test this accessory for road warriors who are perpetually short of USB-C ports. Here’s why I love it.

iPad mini 7 review roundup: Better in small ways

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iPad mini 7 with Apple Pencil Pro
Reviewers got their hands on the iPad mini 7.
Photo: Apple

Early reviews of the iPad mini 7 praise the faster processor, additional storage and support for the upcoming Apple Intelligence AI features on the way to the tiny tablet when it launches on Wednesday. Reviewers are also happy that a screen problem in the previous version got fixed.

As the Engadget review says, the new iPad mini “looks the same on the outside but has some notable upgrades on the inside.”

Read on for more comments about Apple’s latest tablet.

M4 Mac mini could launch as soon as this week [Updated]

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Top-down image of a Mac mini with a bunch of stuff plugged into the back
The M4-powered Mac mini is supposed to be smaller than this, its predecessor.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

A new rumor suggests Apple’s redesigned Mac mini with M4 chip might launch as soon as this week.

Apple has several M4-powered Macs in the pipeline, including the M4 iMac and MacBook Pros. They are all expected to debut by the end of October.

New Magic Mouse, Trackpad, and Keyboard might be around the corner

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better touch tool magic mouse
Magic Mouse with USB-C? Yes, please!
Photo: Harpal Singh/Unsplash

The Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad are the only accessories in Apple’s lineup that use a Lightning connector. But that seemingly won’t be the case for long.

The latest macOS Sequoia 15.1 RC contains references to Apple updating its Magic lineup of Mac accessories, possibly with USB-C.

Stop iPhone from autocorrecting swear words to ‘ducking’ and ‘shot’ once and for all

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Ducking Auto Correct
Ducking autocorrect. What a shot piece of software. It’s such an overcorrecting dock. 
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Here is how to stop your iPhone from autocorrecting swear words. It’s not a simple toggle switch in Settings, unfortunately — but it’ll only take you a few minutes to fix it once and for all.

Apple presents an annoyingly family-friendly image. It doesn’t want the iPhone to autocorrect a swear word to protect the innocence of children. It doesn’t want porn on the App Store (even if it’s a tap away in Safari).

Luckily, for the adults in the room, it’s all surface-level means of protection. Here’s how you can get your iPhone to let you swear again.

Apple Intelligence, iOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 take a big step toward release

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iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, macOS Sequoia 15.1 and Apple Intelligence are almost here
The iOS 18.1 release candidate means Apple Intelligence for iPhone is about a week away.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple gave developers access to the release candidates of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 on Monday. This is the last round of testing before introducing them to the public, which means Apple Intelligence will finally launch in about a week.

Release candidates for tvOS 18.1 and visionOS 2.1 also went out. However, watchOS 11.1 RC is not yet available.

Tim Cook reapplies ‘not first, but best’ mantra to Apple Intelligence

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Tim Cook on Apple Intelligence
Tim Cook spoke recently at Apple Park during the "It's Glowtime" event.
Photo: Apple

You can encapsulate Apple’s approach to innovation in four words, according to a new profile of CEO Tim Cook: “Not first, but best.” It’s not a new sentiment, but Cook doubles down on it in a long magazine article that came out over the weekend, complete with interesting tidbits about his life and his journey with Apple, past and present.

And in a colorful side note: The man apparently loves Diet Mountain Dew. And yet Apple Park doesn’t stock it, so he doesn’t get to drink it as much as he used to. (Theory: Cook banned it himself in an act of self-discipline.)