Cult of Mac

You can find plenty of multiport GaN chargers to help charge your Apple devices on the go. But things get a bit complicated if you want a power brick that can fast charge multiple MacBooks at once. Chargeasap solved this problem with its Zeus 280W power adapter, which the company calls the “world’s first and smallest 280W charger.”

So, what makes the Zeus 280W special? For starters, it can fast charge two 16-inch MacBook Pros at once, a feat that only a few other power bricks can match. Our review will help you decide if this 280W powerhouse is worth buying instead of other GaN chargers.

An iPad Air with an OLED display rather than the current LCD seems a safe bet considering the number of leaks indicating one is in development. But sources can’t agree on when — the latest report says 2026.

That said, Apple already has an OLED tablet for those who want one now.

A separate charger for every one of your devices is impractical, especially if the supply of available electrical outlets doesn’t meet the high demand. You shouldn’t need a power strip just to charge your iPhone, AirPods and iPad. If you want to charge three devices with one cable and cut down on desk clutter, try the MyCharge True Universal 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand.

This three-in-one charger can power iPhones, AirPods and anything that can charge off a 20W USB-C port. Get this charging stand while it’s on sale for $23.99.

Apple released iOS 17.6.1, iPadOS 17.6.1 and macOS Sonoma 14.6.1 on Wednesday. These are patches to fix a problem with Advanced Data Protection, a collection of tools to keep data and communications safe in the cloud.

While there are no new features, the updates are nevertheless important.

Anker’s new Prime charger lineup includes high-end docking stations, power banks, wall chargers and more to support all charging scenarios.

“With the future of work evolving, we wanted the Anker Prime lineup to evolve with it,” said Shaun Xiong, general manager of Anker Charging, in a press release Wednesday. “When we first introduced the Anker Prime line of charging devices, we wanted to provide high-quality, multi-port charging devices. These new desktop charging stations this year take that experience to the next level with highly flexible designs that are more durable, provide additional functionality, and use durable materials for wfh people and at-home use.”

The itty-bitty Samsung USB Type-C Flash Drive is now available with up to 512GB of storage capacity — twice as much as before. And the company’s miniature USB-A version also doubled in capacity.

Plus, the 256GB versions are on sale at some nice discounts.

The cost of streaming Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ goes up this autumn. The three streaming video services are ready to watch on Mac, iPad, iPhone or Apple TV. It’ll just cost a bit more in a few months.

The new prices could be important to those currently getting these services free or cheaply by sharing passwords. Disney CEO Bob Iger warned that a crackdown on the practice starts soon.

We’ve seen quite a few instances of stacked external displays in setups, but today’s M2 MacBook Pro rig might be the first time we’ve seen Studio Displays mounted that way. With all the questions commenters asked about the workstation, the user ended up laying out quite a few points about why it works great.

Flip a switch in iOS 18 and the Camera app will add music playing on an iPhone to the video being recorded on the device. It’s an easy way to add background music to a video.

Just be careful about copyright violations.

Apple will make bypassing Gatekeeper’s runtime protection harder in macOS Sequoia by doing away with a handy shortcut that allows Mac users to avoid security restrictions for software that doesn’t come from the App Store.

The company announced this change Tuesday following the release of macOS Sequoia public beta 3.

StandBy mode is a headline iOS 17 feature that turns your iPhone into a smart display on your nightstand, at your desk or in the kitchen. It’s an attractive way to put your phone to work as a small information board or digital clock when you’re not using it.

Of course, it works best if you have a phone with an always-on display like the iPhone 14 or 15 Pro. However, it works on any iPhone with MagSafe running iOS 17. Best of all, StandBy remembers different preferences for different rooms, so you can set it up as a bedside clock in the bedroom, a digital photo frame in the living room, or a music controller in the kitchen. Here’s everything you can do with StandBy on your iPhone.

Apple is set to bolster Apple Arcade gaming with three exciting new titles in September. NFL Retro Bowl ’25 headlines the additions. It’s an exclusive collaboration between the National Football League and the creators of the popular App Store game Retro Bowl.

Apple should never have entered into the deal that had Google paying billions every year to be the default search engine for iPhone, Mac, and iPad. And it’s shameful that it’ll take a court order to finally make Apple do the right thing.

A company that claims to carefully protect the privacy of its users shouldn’t be part of an arrangement that steered those users toward Google, whose business is built on privacy violation. Interestingly, some users may find that certain websites require specific browser settings to function correctly, such as ensuring you enable JavaScript on iPhone for a smoother browsing experience.

San Antonio Spurs legend and NBA commentator Sean Elliott recently experienced a health scare highlighting Apple Watch’s potentially life-saving capabilities. Elliott, known his role in the Spurs’ first championship, found himself at the center of a different kind of heart-pounding drama, according to a report.

“My watch kept telling me you’re in Atrial Fibrillation. It just kept telling me over and over again, and I said, ‘there’s no way, I feel fine,'” Elliott recounted in an interview. Despite feeling no symptoms, the persistent warnings from his smartwatch eventually prompted him to seek medical attention. And it’s a good thing he did.

When you’re gearing up to launch your startup or build your brand online, creating standout video content for webinars, product promos or social media is a game-changer. But let’s be real — it can be a major time sink and you might not have all the specialized skills. That’s where AI avatar generator X-Me comes into play.

It lets  you generate AI avatars to serve as virtual spokespeople in a variety of video formats, kind of like your own little AI actor. And Right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to X-Me for only $89.99 (regularly $360).

A U.S. federal judge ruled Monday that Google paying Apple billions to be the default search engine on iPhone and other devices is a violation of antitrust law. He said it makes Google a monopolist.

This is the result of a court case brought by the Department of Justice against Google. Apple isn’t directly involved, though its annual income may have just dropped by $15 billion or $20 billion. Or more.

With a built-in LED light, the Waloo Mini LED Base Bluetooth Speaker is perfect for kids. It’s compact, sturdy and extremely affordable. And its soft LEDs sync to the rhythm of the music being played music.

That makes it perfect for pumping up playtime. But it’s also great for bedtime: Soothing lullabies can be accompanied by gentle lights to help a little one drift off to sleep. As mentioned, the price on this speaker won’t keep anyone up, either. Regularly $34, you can get the Waloo Mini LED Base Bluetooth Speaker for just $19.99.

Apple added Distraction Control to the Safari web browser in the iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia 15 betas released Monday. The new feature allows users to remove elements they find irritating or distracting from web pages.

Some have called Distraction Control an ad blocker. It’s not. Or certainly not a very good one.

As if Siri’s unhelpful answers were not irritating enough when you actually want them, Siri often interrupts a conversation, meeting or TV show when you haven’t asked for anything at all. The good news is you make it stop — if you know how to deactivate Siri on your Apple devices.

keep reading or watch our video.

If you or someone you know could use a smaller iPad, and you missed Amazon Prime Day, now’s the time to get the lowest-ever prices on iPad mini 6 at the mega retail site. My sister-in-law, for example, wishes she could grab something no bigger than her old, basic iPad, with its 9.7-inch screen. iPad mini 6’s 8.3-inch screen might just work for her.

Some people prefer two or more displays in their computer setup, some go for just one — often a big one. Today’s outstanding MacBook Pro setup, run by an Apple admin no less, goes ultra-wide and then some with a 49-inch curved Samsung display. It’s massive. If you like customizing your Apple devices, you may also want to check out how to name my iPhone and personalize your setup further. It’s massive, and if you’re considering a Viewfinity option, take a look at this Samsung ultra-wide monitor setup.

The Apple Watch SE 3 will come in a plastic casing, if a noted source of Apple insider info is correct. Skipping the usual aluminum case will allow the wearable to come in a broad array of colors, potentially making it more appealing to younger buyers.

It’ll also likely be cheaper to make, which is important for Apple’s budget wearable.

EarFun launched its new flagship Air Pro 4 active noise-canceling (ANC) wireless earbuds Monday, calling them “the world’s first Auracast-supported earbuds under $100.” And the new buds run true to form for EarFun. They’re great-sounding, well-equipped earbuds that present an excellent value at a list price of $90. And EarFun Air Pro 4 present an even better value with the launch discount (see below).

Apple will reportedly launch M4-powered MacBooks and iMacs later this year. But the company will wait until 2025 to refresh its entire Mac lineup with its latest M-series chip.

The MacBook Air and other high-end desktop Macs will reportedly get their M4 upgrade next year.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Leaked iPhone 16 dummy units offer a possible peek at what this year’s lineup will look like. While the black titanium pro model looks pretty badass, let’s hope the other colors don’t prove accurate!

You can see the leaked iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Max dummy units we’re talking about in the show notes below.

Also on The CultCast:

• Apple Intelligence just arrived, and anybody can try it — if they’ve got the stomach for running a beta.
• A brain implant lets a guy use an Apple Vision Pro with his thoughts. Astonishing!
• There’s a new Apple podcast in town, and it’s run by a pair of Cult of Mac alums. Apple Core is a fun way to take a deep dive into Apple history.

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.