Mobile menu toggle

Everything we wanted from Apple’s MacBook Pro event but got denied

By

You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest laptop in the world ... MacBook Pro!
You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest laptop in the world ... MacBook Pro!
Photo: Apple

Anybody watching Apple’s “Hello Again” event probably suspected we’d get “one more thing” in addition to the long-rumored Touch Bar and the recently leaked TV app. Or maybe a couple more things.

Instead we got … a Final Cut Pro update and a new accessibility website?

Underwhelming! And cruelly disappointing to all the Apple faithful hoping against hope for new hardware. Here are all the other things we wanted — but got so viciously denied — during Apple’s MacBook Pro event today.

Hands-on: MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar gets rave reviews

By

macbook pro
There's a lot to love about the new MacBook Pro.
Photo: Apple

The new MacBook Pro won’t ship for another 2-3 weeks, but members of the media who got their fingers on the new Touch Bar came away from Apple’s event with rave reviews.

Apple hosted a hands-on section after today’s keynote and based on the quick impression the new MacBook Pro made, it looks like Apple has another hit on its hands.

Adapt to the MacBook Pro with these USB-C docks and dongles

By

USB-C adaptors
An adaptor, like this hub from Satechi with a MacBook, will let you plug in your peripheral devices into the USB-C ports on the new MacBook Pro.
Photo: Satechi

Allow yourself to bask in the glow of a brighter screen and the multifunction Touch Bar. But when the high subsides and you’re ready to order the new MacBook Pro, you will need to deal with a slight inconvenience: all those USB-C ports.

But because Apple prepared us for the new industry standard last year when it introduced a single USB-C port on the 12-inch MacBook, accessories companies responded with loads of affordable adapters that allow users to plug in peripheral devices.

Internet freaks out about new MacBook Pro pricing

By

The MacBook Pro will be more affordable next year.
The MacBook Pro will be more affordable next year.
Photo: Apple

While Apple is touting the new MacBook Pros as a major evolution of the laptop, the internet is in open revolt over the cost of the new machines.

The new MacBook Pros will set you back at least $200 more than last year’s models, and sometimes much more.

The top-of-the-line 15-inch MacBook Pro, for example, costs an eye-popping $4,299 — without tax, and with no preinstalled software.

Prices are even worse in Europe and Asia, where potential buyers are wondering if it would be cheaper to fly to the U.S. to buy a new machine than get one at home.

Everything you can do with MacBook Pro’s new Touch Bar

By

macbook pro touch bar
Want to try the new MacBook Pro Touch Bar without dropping a few grand?
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new Touch Bar looks like the most exciting new feature we’ve seen on the MacBook Pro in years.

Instead of fumbling to remember shortcuts, Touch Bar puts a handful of commands at your fingertips and dynamically adjusts to whatever app you’re in.

That sounds pretty magical, but what will that actually be good for? Developers will need to add support for their apps, so it might take a few months before Touch Bar really takes off. But if you’re doubting the usefulness of having a touch screen bar at the top of your keyboard, here are the cool things you can do on the Touch Bar.

The 11-inch MacBook Air is officially dead

By

The new MacBook Air has more graphics power than it appears at first. Photo: Apple
Farewell MacBook Air.
Photo: Photo

While Apple was busying announcing two new 13-inch MacBook Pros today, the company quietly killed the smallest notebook it makes.

Apple officially discontinued the 11-inch MacBook Air today, making it no longer available for purchase. Now if you want the cheapest MacBook available, you’re going to have to think bigger.

New MacBook Pro is thinner, faster and more magical

By

macbook pro
Meet the new MacBook Pro.
Photo: Apple

The MacBook Pro refresh we’ve been eagerly anticipating for months is finally here, and it’s everything we dreamt it would be.

Apple’s new high-end notebooks deliver a sleeker design, Intel’s latest Skylake processors, and that magic Touch Bar with Touch ID that we’ve been hearing so much about. The only real problem is the price.

Apple’s new TV app unifies your viewing experience

By

The new TV app doesn't like ripped videos.
The new TV app doesn't like ripped videos.
Photo: Apple

Apple is making it a lot easier for Apple TV owners to find their favorite video content, with an all-new app called simply “TV” that puts everything in one place.

The new TV app debuted at an Apple event this morning that showcased how viewers will be able find new shows to watch as well as tune into live TV.

Liveblog: The Mac is back at Apple’s ‘Hello Again’ keynote

By

Are you ready for new Macs?
Are you ready for new Macs?
Photo: Apple

Are you ready to finally get some new Macs? It seems like forever since Apple busted out big updates for the iMac and MacBook, but today the wait for something new is over.

Apple’s “Hello Again” event is expected to feature tons of new Mac hardware. The keynote kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific today, and will livestream from the company’s HQ in Cupertino, California. We’ve already seen tons of pictures of the new MacBook Pro and heard of a new app for Apple TV that’s coming, too. But today’s event could feature some game-changing hardware no one was expecting.

Cult of Mac is here to to liveblog all the action once the festivities start, with all the brilliant analysis, dull wit and pithy snark we can come up with. Join us for the wild ride.

Worried about online security? Get this VPN client for Mac [Deals]

By

Shimo is one of the most versatile, secure, and simple to use VPNs out there.
Shimo is one of the most versatile, secure, and simple to use VPNs out there.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When you spend time every day online, you’re adding to the risk of having your data stolen. That’s ignoring minor headaches like location restrictions, preventing you from getting your favorite streaming content when traveling. All of the above can be avoided though by connecting to the web via a virtual private network, or VPN. That might sound technical or expensive, but it doesn’t have to be either — right now you can get Shimo, one of the most secure and versatile VPN clients available, for just $19 at Cult of Mac Deals.

How to watch Apple’s ‘Hello Again’ MacBook Pro keynote

By

Apple's keynote invite makes an awesome wallpaper.
Apple's keynote invite makes an awesome wallpaper.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The new MacBook Pro is nearly here!

Months of rumors and leaked images finally culminate today with Apple’s second keynote in two months. Live from Apple’s campus, Tim Cook and Co. are expected to unveil the all-new Mac lineup.

Apple’s “Hello Again” keynote starts today at 10 a.m. Pacific and you don’t need a press badge to watch. All the festivities will be livestreamed from Apple’s HQ in Cupertino, California, so you can follow along on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV.

Here’s how to get in on the action:

Apple exec cuts deal to avoid jail in European tax probe

By

money
Apple previously shelled out 318 million euros over its lack of corporate tax payments in Italy.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

An Apple executive has avoided jail as part of an Italian investigation into Apple’s failure to pay corporate tax in the country.

The executive in question, the head of Apple’s Irish-based Apple Sales International, was being investigated as part of the case. Apple agreed to pay 318 million euros last year to close the investigation, but the exec could still have been forced to spend six months in prison for his part in it.

Apple store line dividers suggest new MacBooks will go on sale today

By

Apple Store
Apple's saying "Hello Again" to the prospect of queues.
Photo: wollae/Reddit

There’s typically a period of anticipation after every Apple keynote, between a new product being announced and it arriving in stores for customers to buy.

That may not be the case with today’s Mac event, as a photo shared online show Apple Stores set up with outside line dividers — suggesting that whatever Apple announces today may well go on sale immediately following the event.

Jaybird X3 Bluetooth headphones give AirPods a run for their money

By

Jaybird X3 wireless earbuds
Jaybird's X3 wireless earbuds sing like two birdies in your ears.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

SAN FRANCISCO — Rene Oehlerking is positively stoked that Apple killed the headphone jack on the iPhone 7.

That’s because, as chief marketing officer of Jaybird, he’s been touting the winning combo of killer audio and wireless freedom for years. With its controversial move, Apple made Bluetooth headphones the new normal virtually overnight.

“We’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” Oehlerking said during a demo of his company’s latest headphones, the Jaybird X3. “It puts pressure on everyone to just buck up.”

Week’s best Apple deals: Super-low prices on iPad minis

By

Snag great deals on tiny Apple tablets, a third-party Apple Watch band and an essential iOS app.
Snag great deals on tiny Apple tablets, a third-party Apple Watch band and an essential iOS app.
Photos: Apple, Cambond, Duet

We’ve got iPad minis for every budget (as long as your budget falls between $220 and $325). You’ll find those, plus a super-affordable third-party Apple Watch band, in this week’s roundup of the best Apple deals.

AirPods won’t be ready for October launch

By

AirPods-case
You'll have to wait a little longer to get AirPods.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s wireless future has been delayed.

The iPhone-maker revealed today that it is still not ready to start shipping AirPods, even though customers were told they would launch by the end of October.

iPhone 7 Plus dominates Google’s Pixel XL in speed test

By

Google Pixel phone family
Pixel XL is sloooooow.
Photo: Google

Google’s new smartphone, the Pixel XL, can’t match the iPhone 7 Plus when it comes real-world speed.

In a new speed test pitting the mighty iPhone 7 Plus against Google’s handset, the Pixel XL gets absolutely stomped, despite having more RAM and the latest SnapDragon 821 processor.

Watch the iPhone 7 kill the Pixel XL:

Microsoft’s giant touchscreen PC takes on iMac

By

Microsoft Surface Studio
Microsoft's Surface Studio is a tablet and a PC.
Photo: Microsoft.

On the eve before Apple is expected to unveil the future of the Mac, Microsoft fired its biggest shot at taking down the Mac with its first ever all-in-one PC.

It’s beautiful. It’s powerful. And it could give the iMac some serious competition.

How the MacBook Pro’s Magic Toolbar can cast a spell on the world

By

MacBook Pro
The Magic Toolbar will change depending on the app being used.
Illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple faces a serious challenge when it rolls out the rumored OLED “Magic Toolbar” on new MacBook Pros tomorrow: It must convince the world that the new adaptive touchpad is more than a gimmick.

Offering customizable function keys that work in different ways depending on which apps are running, the Magic Toolbar could make the new MacBook Pro one of Apple’s most exciting laptops in years.

But to be more than a gimmick, the Magic Toolbar needs to improve the way we interact with our Macs, not simply add another confusing control element to the laptops. The Magic Toolbar needs to make it easier to perform tasks that we now do using keyboard shortcuts or on-screen toolbars. If it can’t do that, the Magic Toolbar will go down in the history books as a failure.

Luckily, there’s one simple step Apple can take to ensure that the Magic Toolbar becomes a success.

Next year’s iPhone may come in 3 sizes

By

iPhone 7 black
This could be the last iPhone made of metal.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s next iPhone will feature an all-glass back, according to the latest rumor out of Asia that also claims the 2017 iPhone will come in three different sizes, with one that’s in between the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Old iMacs don’t die. They become lamps and fish tanks in Nebraska.

By

cult 2.0
Jake Harms in his Nebraska workshop, where he turns old iMacs into home furnishings.
Photo: Steph Harms

Cult of Mac 2.0 bugJake Harms was on his way to the warehouse when a supervisor asked him to take a cart full of garbage to the dumpster. On top of the cart was an old indigo blue iMac G3.

Crossing the warehouse floor, Harms needed to turn left toward the dumpster. Instead, he steered the cart right toward the parking lot so that he could offload the broken iMac into his car.

That rescued iMac would become the first of more than 700 to get a second life as an aquarium.

Apple to unveil new app for finding TV shows

By

apple tv and siri remote
Apple TV may get some love at the "Hello Again" keynote.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple plans to unveil a new way to discover what to watch on TV at its event tomorrow.

The new recommendation service will come in the form of an app, according to a new report that claims it will also help networks by giving them a place to promote new show.

Say goodbye to cable hell with PowerHouse charging dock for Apple Watch and iPhone [Reviews]

By

PowerHouse Charge Dock for Apple Watch and iPhone includes a built-in Magnetic Charging Module for Apple Watch.
PowerHouse Charge Dock for Apple Watch and iPhone includes a built-in Magnetic Charging Module for Apple Watch.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

If you’re an Apple Watch and iPhone owner, there’s a good chance you suffer from cluttered-nightstand syndrome. There’s only so much surface space on your standard bedside table, and plugging in multiple devices for overnight charging can mean a tangle of wires and general disarray.

The Belkin PowerHouse charging dock, which juices up an iPhone and an Apple Watch at the same time, will cure you instantly of this 21st-century malady.