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Jawohl! Full Live Translation with AirPods coming to EU.

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Live Translation with AirPods
Live Translation with AirPods breaks the language barrier.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s nifty new feature that lets AirPods translate speech in real time will reportedly become available to EU residents while they’re in Europe next month.

That will put an end to an odd situation: Currently, non-Europeans can use the AirPods Live Translation feature while in Europe, and EU residents can use it when traveling outside the European Union but not within the EU.

Save up to 32% on Apple’s official iPhone 17 cases

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Photo of a cosmic orange iPhone 17 Pro in an orange Apple silicone case, sitting on a bathroom sink.
Apple's silicone cases feel silky smooth and come in a variety of vibrant colors.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

Getting an iPhone case has never been more important with the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models seemingly quite susceptible to scratches. Fortunately, deals save you up to 26% on the full range of official Apple cases for the new models: bumper case, silicone case and clear case (just not TechWoven).

An iPhone case is always a good idea, especially with these deals. But don’t delay — the savings are available for a limited time.

Apple’s upcoming budget laptop has PC makers ‘freaking out’

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Apple developing low-cost laptop
A new budget MacBook might not look much different from this M1 MacBook Air. And the new Mac's iPhone processor may outperform the M1 chip.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Apple is working on its first low-cost laptop, a strategic departure from its traditional premium approach that could shake up the education and entry-level PC markets, according to a new report. And some responses on social media suggest the PC industry is, indeed, “freaking out” over it.

WhatsApp finally brings messages, voice notes and calls to Apple Watch

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Whatsapp for Apple Watch
A dedicated WhatsApp for Apple Watch is finally here.
Photo: Meta

A decade after Apple Watch launched, WhatsApp finally launched a dedicated app for the smartwatch Tuesday — ending years of frustration for users who could only respond to notifications from their wrist. The messaging service brings full chat functionality to your wrist with support for messages, voice notes and calls, Meta said. 

Today in Apple history: Apple sets up shop inside CompUSA stores

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Desiring more control over how Macs got sold, Apple turned to CompUSA.
Desiring more control over how Macs got sold, Apple turned to CompUSA.
Photo: Coolcaesar/Wikipedia CC

November 4: Today in Apple history: Apple CompUSA November 4, 1997: Apple unveils its plan to open small “store within a store” areas inside CompUSA outlets around the United States. Apple-trained employees will staff these mini-stores and sing the praises of the Mac and other Apple products.

The move gives Cupertino more control over the way its products are displayed and demoed to consumers. While ultimately disappointing, Apple’s CompUSA experiment paves the way for the flagship Apple Stores that will launch four years later and become the world’s most profitable retail outlets.

Your MacBook needs the ‘world’s smallest 1TB USB-C flash drive’

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SanDisk Extreme Fit USB-C Flash Drive: In use
You can carry your MacBook around without removing the SanDisk Extreme Fit USB-C Flash Drive.
Photo: SanDisk

The SanDisk Extreme Fit USB-C Flash Drive packs up to a terabyte of storage, but is tiny enough that you can leave it plugged into your MacBook. SanDisk touts it as “the world’s smallest 1TB USB-C flash drive.”

Outgrown the storage capacity of your older MacBook? This drive could be just the boost you’re looking for.

The mini SSD can even be used with an iPhone, as well as an iPad.

Twofer deal gives you lifetime access to 1TB of cloud storage plus VPN for just $60

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Abstract tech schematic overlaid on an image of a person using a laptop
Gain lifetime access to 1TB of cloud storage and a VPN for one low price.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Can you put a price on online privacy and cloud storage? We can, and it’s a remarkably tiny one.

The 2026 Cloud Storage & Internet Privacy Lifetime Subscription Bundle gives you a lifetime of storage and security for a small one-time payment. It pairs 1TB of FolderFort cloud storage with OysterVPN — and you get it all for just $59.99 (MSRP $598.97).

Thank goodness Slide Over is back in iPadOS 26.1

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Toggling Slide Over on the iPad
Slide Over multitasking returns to iPad!
Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Slide Over, one of the best iPad multitasking features, got rescued from the rubbish heap with the new iPadOS 26.1. It’s an ideal way to keep an application that you check frequently but not constantly within easy reach — it’s offscreen but accessible with just a flick of a finger.

Here’s how to use Slide Over, and why you shouldn’t ignore the option now that it’s back in iPadOS 26.1, which launched on Monday.

5 new features in iOS 26.1 you don’t want to miss

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iOS 26.1 Update: Top 5 Features
The best new features in the latest update.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

iOS 26.1, which Apple released Monday, brings five features you should check out immediately after you install the update.

The biggest change gives you a way to customize the legibility of Liquid Glass, the major user interface overhaul Apple delivered to all its software platforms this year. But there’s plenty of other cool stuff you don’t want to miss.

Other key upgrades come to Apple Music and the iPhone’s alarm clock interface. Plus, there’s a setting that can keep your iPhone battery from draining in your pocket. And for iPad owners, there’s the celebrated return of Slide Over on iPad.

Apple builds App Store for the web, and everyone asks, ‘What took so long?’

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Apple App Store on the web
Apple — finally — put the App Store on the web.
Screenshot: Lewis Wallace /Cult of Mac

The iPhone App Store is now accessible on a Mac. And iPad users can research what macOS applications are available. Anyone can see what Apple Watch apps are available. All of these are possible now that Apple finally put the App Store on the web Monday.

It’s long overdue, and still missing a feature many users would like.

Today in Apple history: Apple preps for Mac App Store’s big debut

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The Mac App Store opens its doors to developers.
The Mac App Store opens its doors to developers.
Photo: Apple

November 3: Today in Apple history: Apple preps for Mac App Store launchNovember 3, 2010: Apple prepares to launch the Mac App Store, publicly accepting app submissions from registered developers — and kicking off a gold rush among coders.

After witnessing the enormous sums of money raked in by early entrants in the iOS App Store, the easy-to-use digital storefront that revolutionized software distribution on the iPhone, developers flood Apple with new Mac apps.

Apple reportedly will tap Google Gemini to give Siri a brain boost

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Google Gemini might power next-gen Siri.
Google will help next-gen Siri.
Image: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Apple’s long-delayed Siri upgrade will reportedly “lean on Google’s Gemini” model to power many of its features. It will also include an AI-powered web search.

However, this Gemini integration will supposedly function differently from how Apple currently integrates ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence.

Today in Apple history: iPad mini arrives

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The iPad mini made a big splash for such a tiny device.
The iPad mini made a big splash for such a tiny device.
Photo: Apple

November 2: Today in Apple history: iPad mini launch brings smaller size and price tag November 2, 2012: The first iPad mini goes on sale, shrinking both the size and the price tag of Apple’s groundbreaking tablet computer.

With a reduced screen size of 7.9 inches – instead of the then-standard 9.7 inches – the original iPad mini is the fifth iPad to be released by Apple. Critics hail Apple’s most affordable iPad ever, although some people complain about the tablet’s lack of a Retina display.

Why iPhone’s Wi-Fi 7 performance can’t beat Wi-Fi 6E

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Testing shows iPhone Wi-Fi 7 performance can’t beat Wi-Fi 6E
The iPhone 17 Wi-Fi 7 performance isn’t really turtle-like, but it’s not half as fast as it could be.
Illustration: ChatGPT

Although Wi-Fi 7 is theoretically more than four times faster than Wi-Fi 6E, tests of wireless performance on newer iPhone models that support the upgraded standard show no real improvement in speed. This is reportedly because Apple did not implement the Wi-Fi 7 changes that would boost performance over iPhones with Wi-Fi 6E.

In Apple’s defense, it did implement the portion of Wi-Fi 7 intended to make wireless connections more reliable. That’s arguably the part of the standard that benefits average users the most.

The incredible, buttonless iPhone! [The CultCast]

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AI image of a finger touching an iPhone and haptics resulting, with The CultCast logo
The iPhone might get a lot more haptic when its 20th anniversary rolls around.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest rumor about the 20th anniversary iPhone whets our appetite for this glorious device. It’s just over the horizon, and it sounds like an absolute stunner.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Apple reportedly plans to bring a gorgeous OLED screen to almost every iPad.
  • A horrifying AirPods Pro 3 problem strikes when you need it least — while flying! Thankfully, it seems like the glitch is not that widespread. Still, we’ve got some tips on preparing for the worst.
  • Griffin serves up his M5 Vision Pro review, and Leander talks up Apple Watch Series 11.

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 version, embedded below.

Today in Apple history: Time crowns iPhone ‘invention of the year’

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TIMEcover
The iPhone was immediately recognized as a breakthrough device.
Photo: Time

November 1: Today in Apple history: Time magazine crowns the iPhone 2007's 'invention of the year' November 1, 2007: Six months after Steve Jobs showed it off, the original iPhone becomes Time magazine’s “best invention of the year.”

The iPhone stands out from the rest of 2007’s gadget pack, which includes the Nikon Coolpix S51c digital camera, the Netgear SPH200W Wi-Fi Phone and the Samsung P2 music player. Remember those? (Yeah, we thought not.)

Everything new in iOS 26.1: Tone down Liquid Glass, if you dare

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iOS 26.1 graphic
iOS 26.1 is packed with new features.
Image: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

In addition to a bunch of much-needed bug fixes, iOS 26.1 brings plenty of new features. Tweaks to Liquid Glass improve its legibility without sacrificing its cool effects. iPad multitaskers can rejoice the return of Slide Over, which returns better than before.

There are 20 new changes: A new user interface for alarms, improvements to Photos, a new gesture for quickly fast-forwarding music, a setting that fixes a long-standing problem with the Lock Screen, and much more.

Here’s the complete list. Read on or watch our hands-on video.

Watch this stunning folk horror show on Apple TV for a thoroughly creepy Halloween

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Nell Tiger Free in “Servant,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
Nell Tiger Free plays creepy nanny Leanne in Apple TV+ thriller Servant.
Photo: Apple TV+

M. Night Shyamalan’s wonderfully dark series Servant is the creepiest horror show on Apple TV. The engrossing show, about a supernatural nanny with designs on an upper-class Philadelphia power couple and their missing baby, shines thanks to an amazing array of directorial talent and some fantastic on-screen presences.

Here’s why you should watch all four seasons of this runaway freight train of a show.

Top 4 Apple products with most upgraders in Q4 2025

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Top 4 Apple products with most upgraders in Q4 2025
Here are the products getting repeat customers into Apple stores.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Record numbers of customers upgrading their gear helped push up Apple’s revenue into record territory last quarter, and that’s boosting AAPL’s stock price.

Here are the products that the company says are the most popular with upgraders in Q4 2025. Some you might be able to guess, but there’s a very conspicuous absence from the list.

Today in Apple history: iTunes video takes world by storm

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Kanye West
Artists like Kanye West helped drive music video downloads past 1 million in less than 20 days.
Photo: Rodrigo Ferrari/Flickr CC

October 31: Today in Apple history: iTunes video takes world by storm October 31, 2005: Less than three weeks after launching video downloads with iTunes 6, Apple reveals that it has already sold more than 1 million music videos.

Apple’s dive into the online digital video market — with 2,000 music videos, Pixar short films and a selection of hit TV shows for $1.99 — looks like the logical next step after selling individual songs on iTunes. Passing the 1 million download benchmark so quickly suggests the plan is a roaring success.

7 exciting features to expect from Siri’s 2026 AI upgrade

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Siri 2026 AI upgrade
Tim Cook confirmed AI-enhanced Siri should arrive in 2026. Here's a reminder of what that will mean.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Apple’s long-delayed AI-powered Siri upgrade remains on track for a 2026 debut, CEO Tim Cook said Thursday. That offers some reassurance to users after multiple setbacks pushed the originally planned 2024 release back by more than a year.

So, what can we expect from a smarter Siri voice assistant when it finally arrives? 

3 reasons to watch Down Cemetery Road on Apple TV

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Down Cemetery Road review
New Apple TV thriller Down Cemetery Road is a compelling whodunnit (and who did what, exactly?).
Photo: Apple TV

New Apple TV crime thriller Down Cemetery Road, based on British author Mick Herron’s debut novel, might not always match the fast-and-dirty fun of Slow Horses, the hit stablemate also derived from Herron’s work.

However, it offers enough intrigue, stellar performances (especially from star Emma Thompson) and dark humor to deserve your attention. 

Here’s why you should stream the eight-episode conspiracy thriller.

EarFun’s top budget earbuds punch way above their weight [Review] ★★★★

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EarFun Air Pro 4 Plus with closed case★★★★
For under $100, EarFun Air Pro 4 Plus are killer.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

The budget wireless earbuds market has become increasingly competitive, but this EarFun Air Pro 4 Plus earbuds review finds they manage to stand out with a compelling combination great sound, premium features and aggressively good value. Priced at $100 — with a launch discount coupon on Amazon bringing it down to about $80 —  these earbuds challenge what we’ve come to expect from the sub-$100 category. And they do so while going toe-to-toe with Apple’s $249 AirPods Pro 3.