Cult of Mac

It takes a lot more than wanting to be Billy Joel to become a piano player. You need passion, time, motivation and an excellent instructor (and, uh, a piano). But traditional piano lessons might not fit into your schedule. Plus, they can get expensive if you’re serious about learning. Luckily, if you buy a piano lesson app like Skoove, you can learn how to play piano by yourself.

Skoove lets you practice with hands-on piano lessons and AI software that listens to your playing. Get all this and more in a lifetime subscription for only $120 (regularly $300). That’s the lowest price found on the web! But you must use code SAVENOW by July 21 to get this price.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: We dissect the latest Apple rumors, which go from incredible bummer (Apple Watch) to potential breakthroughs (iPhone and HomePod).

Also on The CultCast:

• The latest iOS 18 beta brings some welcome new changes.
• A teaser trailer and a release date get us psyched for season two of Severance.
• Griffin tells us all about a keyboard with a peculiar name in a new Under Review segment.

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.

iPad users, get your game on. The Delta retro game emulator that launched for iPhone in the spring is now out for Apple tablets, too.

The software can handle ROMs originally for the classic Game Boy plus NES, SNES, Nintendo 64 and Nintendo DS.

The crime drama Presumed Innocent is a big enough hit that Apple TV+ committed to season two before the initial season is even over.

The series starring Jake Gyllenhaal has been among the most watched shows on streaming since launching in mid-June, according to analysts.

With the major Photos app redesign coming in iOS 18, Apple aims for simplicity. However, the version  of the Photos app in iOS 18 developer beta 3 is a hodge-podge of design that will confuse users. I think that if Apple doesn’t revise its approach, the company will face significant backlash when it releases the updated app to the public this fall.

Yes, iOS 18 is still in beta. And Apple very well could change the Photos app before its anticipated release in September. I certainly hope Apple tweaks things — I’m writing this as more of a wish list than a design critique. In fact, I already filed my suggestions through the official channel of Apple’s Feedback system (submitted as FB14289280).

As of iOS 18 developer beta 3, Apple has already made a few little tweaks to the Photos app redesign. But unfortunately, there’s been no movement on any of my major criticisms from beta 1. For that reason, I feel obligated to outline the goals of the new Photos app, applaud what it gets right, point out where the design fails, and explain what aspects prove confusing.

I don’t think Photos needs to be reverted entirely to the way it worked before. But these key features need changing ASAP. Keep reading or watch my video.

Whether you want to get more from your travels or boost your career opportunities, speaking an additional language is one of the most rewarding ways to do it. And the most convenient way to learn? With an award-winning language-learning app like Babbel.

The Babbel app teaches you a new language with short daily lessons that take only 10 or 15 minutes that you can take on your iPhone or Mac. Right now, you can grab a lifetime subscription to every single language on the app for only $139.97 (regularly $599). That’s a 76% discount on this incredible software, but this price drop only lasts until July 17.

Checking the health and maximum capacity of the battery in older iPad models isn’t as easy as it should be, but we can walk you through the process. Finding out how worn out the tablet’s battery is can help you decide if it’s time for a new model.

But for those who already upgraded to the latest iPad Pro or iPad Air, checking battery health is a snap.

For all the bargain hunters and late adopters out there, Woot just launched another iPhone and Apple Watch sale on great (but not new) gear. The big sale on Apple refurbs runs through July 31 at 10 p.m. Pacific. It’s your chance to grab refurbished models at great prices.

Woot calls it the “Big Value Little Price iPhones and Apple Watches.” The cheeky Amazon site says “now E.T. can phone home in style!”

Indeed, you can find refurbished iPhones in all shapes and sizes, including the discontinued iPhone mini. Same goes for Apple Watch. Don’t dally, though. One of the deals already sold out!

Apple CEO Tim Cook says he uses his Vision Pro headset every day and explains why he thinks the device is “very revolutionary,” in an interview published Thursday.

“I think it delivers stunning entertainment,” Cook told The Sun in an interview tied to the AR/VR headset’s U.K. launch. “It unleashes this infinite canvas for productivity. It gives you new ways to connect and collaborate. These are just huge ideas that affect all of the things that we do every day, so I’m a huge believer in it.”

Apple doesn’t have a very long list of unpopular products or features, but whatever list of shame it may keep probably includes MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar. But not everyone hates the feature. The Python developer who runs today’s MacBook Pro setup actually loves it.

Release dates for new seasons of hit Apple TV+ shows like Severance and Slow Horses are in the news, and now we can add Silo to that list — maybe. The show’s stars and producers will discuss season 2 details at San Diego Comic-Con July 27, Apple TV+ said Friday. And a release date — and maybe more, like a trailer — will probably come out of that panel discussion.

Apple began offering refurbished Apple Pencil (USB-C) units Thursday. The stylus, which works with all recent iPads, is available at 12% below the regular cost as a refurb.

Alternatively, you can buy a new one at the same discount price from major retailers. Or even better, get a new, open-box Apple Pencil (USB-C) from Cult of Mac Deals for just $59.99.

Vision Pro launched in Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the U.K. on Friday. Interested buyers can now go to an Apple retail store in any of those countries for a demonstration. Or just put in an order online.

This comes two weeks after the product arrived in Asia. The U.S. launch was in February.

The upcoming iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will seemingly use the same 5x tetraprism camera as the iPhone 15 Pro Max. This move will benefit the company’s current prisms supplier, Crystal-Optech.

Apple plans to use a larger tetraprism sensor with 48MP resolution on the iPhone 17 Pro lineup in 2025.

Current drone technology is remarkable, and it’s revolutionizing everything from military and humanitarian operations to online sales and even Apple Maps. But unlike groceries, cutting-edge drones for everyday users just keep getting more affordable. And this 4K camera drone bundle is the perfect example.

For a limited time, you can get the Ninja Dragon Phantom Eagle Pro 4K and Blade K for one low payment of just $159.97.

The new Satechi 4-in-1 USB-C Hub With 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet expands a Mac with a trio of high-speed USB-C ports and fast networking. It launched Thursday at an affordable price. Alternatively, there’s the Zagg 4-Port Hub, which offers a pair of USB-C ports, USB-A and HDMI.

Either of these hubs can make a MacBook into the center of an extensive office setup on the go.

Suzie’s Japanese husband and son are missing and possibly dead, so her husband’s secretive company gives her a creepy robot named Sunny as a consolation prize. Together they’ll uncover the dark truth of what’s really going on. Intrigued? Stream the newly released Apple TV+ mystery series Sunny now.

It’s already earned a high score from Rotten Tomatoes.

Mega retailer Amazon often offers early discounts on the run-up to Prime Day, July 16 and 17. So now’s a great time to bag great deals on Apple Watch Series 9 and SE. Several models are already $100 off the regular price. That may drop even further next week, but you never know.

An iPad is practically a work of art — don’t put it in a cheap plastic case. Wrap your iPad in English Bridle Leather with the latest handcrafted product from DodoCase.

It’s a carrying case, and folds into a stand when you’re ready to work. And there’s an Apple Pencil holder, too.

I’ve been testing one with my M4 iPad Pro, and I’m quite taken with the look. And the design, too.

Apple and the European Commission came to an agreement on opening up iPhone to rival digital wallets and tap-and-go systems. The days of the iPhone’s NFC capabilities being limited to just Apple Pay are at an end. In Europe, anyway.

But in the rest of the world, it’s Apple Pay or nothing.

Apple reportedly wants to ship 90 million iPhone 16 units in 2024. The company hopes Apple Intelligence and other AI features will fuel the demand for its new iPhones.

For comparison, Apple shipped about 81 million iPhone 15 units in H2 2023.

Upcoming Apple TV+ docuseries Omnivore looks like a visually stunning deep dive into key ingredients that feed the world. The globe-hopping trailer takes us on a whirlwind tour of farmland, fisheries and more. It’s a tasty tease for a show that delivers an international perspective on humanity’s common denominator: food.

Each episode of the show, which arrives July 19 on Apple TV+, focuses on a single ingredient — salt, pork, bananas, etc. — and explores the long path it takes to wind up on hungry diners’ plates.

It’s now possible to transfer images and videos stored on Google Photos directly into iCloud Photos. Apple and Google cooperated to make this possible.

Wow, these two rivals actually worked together on something.

Apple’s next new product should be a smart ring. No, not so you can scroll through Instagram on a teeny-tiny display. The Apple Ring would be packed with health sensors that allow wearers to track their exercise and fitness goals while carrying no other device.

It wouldn’t even require developing new technology. All that’s needed is for Apple CEO Tim Cook to make the decision to offer a new type of health tracker.

Samsung unveiled Galaxy Ring on Wednesday, showing that this type of wearable is going mainstream. It’s time for Apple to step in and show its rivals how it should be done.

If you can’t wait for Amazon Prime Day July 16 and 17, turns out you don’t even need to — every Prime Day, deals start leaking out early. Right now you can take up to $90 off the recently released M2 iPad Air, for example. And that’s just the biggest savings on a top model. Plenty of early Prime Day deals on M2 iPad Air models with lesser specs can be had, too. See the examples below.