Apple’s efforts to move iPhone assembly to India and Vietnam are reportedly being hampered by the Chinese government.
The iPhone-maker wants to increase the number of countries in which its products are assembled amidst a worsening U.S./China trade war.
You can convert a PDF to JPG on your iPhone instantly and for free — without downloading any sketchy apps or using any slow and confusing websites. This feature works using Shortcuts, a versatile automation system built into your iPhone. To learn more, check out this guide on making PDFs on iPhone and iPad.
After you download the shortcut, you can convert any PDF into a JPG straight from the share sheet on your iPhone. Watch the video or keep reading below to see how it works.
A massive breach revealed last week exposed location data from apps on millions of iPhones and Android phones. But at least iPhone users have better protection against exposure through a simple action they can take against app tracking, a new report noted Monday.
Gravy Analytics, one of the world’s largest location data brokers, disclosed the big data breach last week. Leaked data points came from smartphone apps ranging from popular mobile games like Candy Crush to dating apps and pregnancy-tracking applications. While investigations into the breach continue, experts point out that iPhones and iPads have a pretty simple way of avoiding exposure in the first place.
In an online world filled with identity thieves, robocallers, “smishers” (SMS phishing scammers), and all sorts of marketers hassling you for your personal information whenever you sign up for anything, wouldn’t it be great if you could protect your personal information by becoming someone else with a different phone number? With Surfshark’s Alternative ID service, you can now access a new Alternative Number feature that does just that. If you’re looking for the best Surfshark VPN deals, you can take advantage of great offers while enhancing your online privacy.
Alternative Number is incredibly easy to use — and highly effective at keeping your real phone number safe from spammers and scammers. All you need to do is sign up for a Surfshark bundle that includes Alternative Number. You can pay monthly, but Surfshark also offers 24-month plans that give you four extra months of service for free.
No matter how delightfully small and incredibly powerful the new M4 Pro Mac mini may be, it’s helpless without an external display of some sort. Today’s Mac mini setup pairs the tiny beast with a gigantic pal — a curved ultra-wide display from Dell spanning 40 inches. And the mini shares the monitor and Logitech input devices with a Windows laptop.
iPhone sales dropped in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to separate reports released Monday by a pair of market research firms. Still, Apple shipped more handsets last year than any other company, including arch-rival Samsung.
And 2024 brought strong sales growth in Apple’s non-core markets. Premium iPhone models are selling well in China, too.
In a big shake-up at smart speaker maker Sonos — whose high-end audio products are popular with Apple users — CEO Patrick Spence resigned effective immediately and a board member will step in as interim CEO, the company said Monday. Spence’s departure comes after a turbulent 2024 that saw the company struggle with a controversial app redesign, disappointing product launches and declining customer satisfaction.
Like Apple’s rumored smart home hub, the refreshed Apple Watch SE might not launch as soon as initially expected. A new report says the Apple Watch SE 3 will debut in the second half of 2025.
Apple supposedly will give its cheapest smartwatch a big redesign this year, launching it with a totally new look.
If you’ve been holding out on buying AirPods because the price tag felt too steep, you aren’t alone. The good news? Your waiting paid off because this pair of wireless earbuds isn’t just more affordable. These AirPods alternatives come with a touchscreen case.
While the cheapest pair of AirPods will run you $129, the Twin Sound Ultra Bluetooth earbuds cost just $29.99. Sure, they have their own limitations, but they’re a solid option for anyone looking to save some cash.
I’m not a fan of the Camera Control on all the iPhone 16 models. It’s too hard to use, it’s in the way, and it’s mostly unnecessary. But I stumbled across an alternative way to use it that’s preferable.
Even so, I can honestly see the Camera Control going the way of the infamous MacBook Pro Touch Bar in a few years.
Apple’s 7-inch smart home hub may not arrive this quarter as initially rumored. A new report indicates the device will launch later in 2025 due to a key iOS 18 feature not being ready for release. For the latest apple homepod news and updates on Apple’s smart home ecosystem, stay tuned.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: First, Erfon recounts his recent, extremely lengthy trip to the Apple Store to check out the latest MacBook Pros. He put the nano-texture screen to the test — and came back with a surprising verdict. Then, we discuss some of the coolest — and some of the weirdest — new gear shown off at CES this week.
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 live stream, embedded below.
Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Air might be slimmer than initially rumored. All reports suggested the phone could have a 6mm thin waistline.
However, a reputed Apple analyst believes the iPhone 17 Air will measure just 5.5mm at its thinnest point.
Say you want to send someone a YouTube link with a timestamp, to show them a specific part halfway through. Doing this is really easy from both the YouTube website or the app.
Let me show you how to share a YouTube video that starts at a specific time.
In Skate City: New York, you take your skateboarding game to the iconic streets of the Big Apple, where you can master hundreds of tricks in real-world locations. The game hit Apple Arcade on Friday, and is playable on iPhone, Mac and more.
Several other titles also joined Apple’s gaming service, including a remodeled version of the original Final Fantasy.
From time to time in computer setups coverage I come across a first-time Mac user, and their delight at having switched from Windows to Mac is often obvious. And that’s true of today’s M4 Pro Mac mini user, but they still need to work on a Windows laptop regularly. So they installed a Mac-Windows KVM switch in their setup to easily use the same peripherals with either machine with just the click of a button, as described and shown below.
Out with old, in with the new. As 2025 arrives, so does the CdkeySales New Year Sale! You can nab an incredible deal on Windows 11 Pro and score savings on other Microsoft software. The sale slashes some prices by up to 91%! And since the latest Windows 12 rumors indicate Microsoft won’t release its next big operating system update until late 2025, you can update your PC now the quick and easy way rather than waiting. Just buy a Windows 11 CD key on sale during the CdkeySales event.
You can get great deals on upgrade-ready Microsoft productivity software like Windows 11 Pro and Microsoft Office. Savings include Windows 10 Pro for just $17.05 — with a free upgrade to Windows 11 Pro.
Looking for an Adobe Acrobat alternative? LightPDF is a great, feature-rich PDF editor that costs less than half of an annual Adobe subscription. And it works on iPhones, Androids and Windows PCs.
LightPDF not only comes with countless PDF-editing features and OCR tech, but it’s also integrated with AI to summarize lengthy text for you. You can grab it for life for only $79.99 (regularly $109.99) while supplies last.
Apple might not make meaningful camera hardware improvements to its Pro iPhones this year. The iPhone 17 Pro will supposedly stick to the same 48MP primary shooter as the current flagship iPhone.
The only notable camera improvement on this year’s iPhone would be the switch to a 48MP sensor for the 5x tetraprism shooter.
Apple Card is notifying customers impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires that they can delay their payments without incurring interest.
Apple is contacting Apple Card users living at an address declared a natural disaster zone. Affected users must enroll in the Disaster Relief Program to be eligible.
★★★★★
The espresso Display 15 doubles down on appearance. Not only does it have a great-looking LCD, its aluminum-and-glass exterior makes the screen match a MacBook or iPad perfectly.
Even better, it comes with a clever magnetic stand that can hold the display above your notebook, or beside it if you prefer.
espresso’s 17-inch Pro version from 2023 is the best portable monitor I’ve used, so I went into my review of the smaller version with high expectations.
One of the top Apple Intelligence features is a new set of system-wide AI writing tools. You can invoke these intelligent writing helpers anytime, anywhere to help you compose, edit, rewrite, summarize, reformat or proofread text.
In my experience, they can really streamline reformatting a document and can be helpful for making your written communication better. Here’s how to make the most of Apple Intelligence writing tools.
For Apple users looking for tracking solutions even more affordable than AirTag, Spigen recently launched its new Tag Me tracker, which works with the Find My network. You can get a discounted Tag Me Bluetooth Tracker pack of four at a price that comes out to just $12 apiece (AirTags usually go for over $20 apiece).
The new full-size Satechi SM3 Slim Mechanical Backlit Bluetooth Keyboard builds upon the success of its compact predecessor, the SM1. But it offers Mac and Windows users enhanced functionality through a complete 108-key layout including a numeric keypad, Satechi said upon unveiling the new keeb at CES 2025.
Mac shipments in the last three months of 2024 rose sharply, hitting 17.3% in year-over-year growth according to a market research firm. Apple enjoyed a better growth rate than any of its top rivals, some of which saw their shipments decline.
The company also experienced growth in Mac shipments for the entire year compared to 2023.