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Use Apple Music Sing to throw your own karaoke party

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Graphic showing Apple Music karaoke mode, with a photo of a man singing into a microphone
How to use this top party feature.
Image: Ronyyz/Wikimedia Commons/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple Music comes with a karaoke mode for people who love to sing along as they listen. It’s called Apple Music Sing, and it lets you turn down the lyrics in your favorite songs with just a tap. 

It’s much nicer than searching out karaoke versions of songs on YouTube. Those often don’t use the original backing track, but re-create it (with varying levels of quality). Also, if you’re still learning a song, Apple Music Sing can keep some of the original vocals to guide your singing.

This $8 Microsoft Office deal is your ‘I just need Word for a week’ fix

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A man using Microsoft Excel on a PC as part of his Microsoft 365 subscription
Get one month of access to Microsoft 365 Personal at 20% off.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Need Microsoft Office right now without committing long-term? This one-month Microsoft 365 Personal plan is the easiest way to get in, get it done, and get out. It gives you instant access to all the classic Office apps — Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more — and it works on up to five devices simultaneously (including Macs, iPhones and iPads as well as Windows PCs and Android devices). It even comes with 1TB of secure cloud storage!

For a limited time, you can get one month of Microsoft 365 for just $7.99. That’s a 20% discount off the regular price of $9.99. And, if one month’s not enough, you can get a one-year personal plan for just $69.99 (regularly $99.99) or a one-year family plan for up to six people for just $99.99 (typically $129.99).

iOS 26.4.1 fixes major iPhone bug and adds a quiet security upgrade

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iOS 26.4.1 is a small but important update.
iOS 26.4.1 is a small but important update.
Image: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Apple rolled out iOS 26.4.1 for compatible iPhones on Wednesday. While it looks like a minor update on paper, it fixes a frustrating issue and quietly introduces a major security change.

The update resolves an iCloud syncing bug that Apple introduced in iOS 26.4. It also enables Stolen Device Protection by default for enterprise iPhones.

How to put stunning Artemis II moon wallpapers on your iPhone, iPad or Mac

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Artemis II moon wallpapers
LunarWall is a shortcut that helps you add Artemis II moon wallpapers to iOS or macOS.
Photo: LunarWall

The Artemis II mission has delivered some of the most breathtaking lunar and Earth imagery in decades. And there are two easy ways to get those photos from the Orion spacecraft onto your Apple devices right now — directly from NASA, or via clever free shortcuts that cut out some steps.

Because dogs and cats can’t wear Apple Watches: New pet trackers trounce AirTag

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Tractive pet trackers
The new cat tracker is small enough to (probably) not bother your cat.
Photo: Tractive

An AirTag with the proper collar can tell you where your cat or dog is. Tractive’s new Cat 6 Mini and Dog 6 XL devices can do that, too, but they also can tell you whether your pet is stressed, scratching themselves too much or breathing differently than usual, the company said Wednesday.

Your dog or cat can’t wear an Apple Watch. These collar-based trackers seem to be the next best thing.

“Since Tractive’s founding, we’ve helped pet parents know where their pets are,” said Michael Hurnaus, CEO and founder of Tractive, in a press release. “Now we’re helping them understand how their pets are doing. ”

Today in Apple history: John Sculley takes over as Apple CEO

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Former Apple CEO John Sculley talks at Web Summit 2015 in Dublin, Ireland.
John Sculley goes from pushing Pepsi to running Apple.
Photo: Web Summit/Flickr CC

April 8: Today in Apple history: John Sculley takes over as Apple CEO April 8, 1983: John Sculley, former president of PepsiCo, takes charge as Apple’s third CEO.

Despite a total lack of experience selling tech products, Sculley was lured to Apple by Steve Jobs himself. The Apple co-founder famously pitched the Pepsi exec with the line, “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?”

Biggest problem with the MacBook Neo? It’s too popular!

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MacBook Neo sold out? Suffering from its own success?
Apple has a problem with the MacBook Neo that other companies can only dream of.
AI image: Apple/Gemini/Cult of Mac

Want a MacBook Neo? Better order it soon. It’s possible Apple will sell out of the affordable notebook … and not just for a few weeks. It’s not impossible that the laptop will go completely off the market until Apple can solve a shortage of a critical component … and it’s not RAM! Alternatively, Apple could be forced to raise the price.

And it’s all because the Neo is so wildly popular. Here’s what’s going on.

Get a lifetime license to QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus for Mac at 67% off

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Photo of Intuit QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus 2024 on a laptop.
Manage your accounting books and finance easily with Intuit QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus 2024.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Whether you’re growing a small business or running an established company, you can benefit from organized, efficient financial management. If you want to track your income, expenses and more with greater ease, consider investing in Intuit QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus 2024.

This app makes finance tracking easier on your Mac. And that will make tax time a million times easier when it comes around. With this new price drop, you can save on a lifetime subscription to Intuit QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus 2024. Get the Mac version for only $224.97 (regularly $699). Or snag the Windows version for just $194.97.

Apple’s folding iPhone might ditch expected branding

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AI-generated image of a folding iPhone concept. The rumored device might be called the
Not the iPhone Fold at all. You could be looking at the iPhone Ultra.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Surprise! Apple might not release an iPhone Fold this fall.

Wait, it’s a joke. Sort of. It’s still virtually certain that Apple will introduce a folding handset in a few months. However, it reportedly won’t be named what everyone expects. A reliable source says the real name is (drum roll) … iPhone Ultra.

Folding iPhone might face delays due to engineering challenges [Updated]

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Will Apple delay the iPhone Fold's launch?
Will Apple delay the iPhone Fold's launch?
AI image: ChatGPT

Apple has reportedly run into complex engineering problems as it races to complete work on the first folding iPhone. The complications could derail the company’s mass production plans and, eventually, the device’s shipment schedule.

While Apple often runs into early manufacturing hurdles, it usually resolves them in time for planned releases. With its first foldable, things might not be so straightforward, according to a Monday report from Nikkei Asia.

However, Bloomberg pushed back Tuesday on the notion that the folding iPhone won’t launch on time.

“Apple’s foldable iPhone is — as of now — on track for a September debut with the iPhone 18 Pro,” wrote Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on X. “While supply could be limited initially, it’s also on track to go on sale at the same time — or soon after — the Pro models. Nikkei report is off base.”

Today in Apple history: Mac OS 7 gets its final update

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Today in Apple history: Mac OS 7 gets its final update: Mac OS 7.6.1 was the beginning of the end for Mac OS System 7.
This was the beginning of the end for System 7.
Photo: Apple

April 7: Today in Apple history: System 7 gets its final update with Mac OS 7.6.1 April 7, 1997: Apple’s System 7 operating system receives its last update with the shipment of Mac OS 7.6.1.

The update brings a few bug fixes and support for Apple’s new PCI Power Macs and the PowerBook 3400. Most importantly, it marks the end of the System 7 era, which dawned way back in 1991.

First look: iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Fold ‘dummy’ units appear in new leak

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iPhone 18 Pro and folding iPhone design teased in newly leaked 'dummy' units
The iPhone 18 Pro and folding iPhone should look much like this.
Photo: Sonny Dickson

“Dummy” units of all three smartphones that Apple is expected to launch this fall appeared in images posted Tuesday by some noted leakers. The pictures show the first folding iPhone, as well as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, all in a strange magenta color.

The basic iPhone 18 doesn’t appear in the pictures. And there’s a good reason for that: It’s reportedly not coming this fall.

How Vision Pro launch exposed problems in Apple stores

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Vision Pro 2 with M4 chip
The latest Vision Pro headset boosts processing power and improves comfort.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

A chaotic rollout, undertrained staff and a $3,500 headset nobody could sell: a new book excerpt reveals the human cost of Apple’s retail decline through its struggles to sell Vision Pro.

Wired published a Vision Pro-focused excerpt Tuesday from Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class, by Noam Scheiber. He reports on labor for The New York Times.

Origami case/stand elevates your iPad for easy viewing [Review] ★★★★

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The Moft Dynamic Folio Case does tricks other iPad case/stands can't.★★★★
The Moft Dynamic Folio Case protects your iPad, and is also a brilliant stand for it.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Moft Dynamic Folio Case does tricks other iPad case/stand combinations can’t. Most notably, it can lift the iPad up several inches, making the screen easier to see.

Beyond that, the accessory can be folded into shapes that support the tablet at a range of angles. It can even hold your iPhone next to your iPad. It’s very flexible, and it protects the tablet, too.

I’ve been using Moft’s latest for several weeks. That’s a lot to like here.

Global RAM shortage fuels ridiculous Mac wait times

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AI-generated image of inside of an Apple Store, with a sign that says,
Don't expect to find an M3 Ultra Mac Studio with lots of RAM.
AI image: Gemini/Cult of Mac

Order a Mac Studio or Mac mini that’s loaded up with RAM, and you’ll wait until August for the delivery. Yes, August.

A rumor going around blames the shortage on people snapping up high-end machines to run local AI models. But there’s another explanation.

New sale knocks $100 off Apple Watch Ultra 3

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Marketing image of Apple Watch Ultra 3 used to illustrate a deal on the wearable
This is your first chance to save big on Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Photo: Apple

The latest sale on the Apple Watch Ultra 3 cuts the price of the rugged smartwatch to just $699.99.

Apple unveiled the Ultra 3, which retails for $799, last September during its Awe Dropping event. It’s a high-end wearable aimed at extreme athletes (and people who just like its rugged looks and long battery life).

Today in Apple history: Future Apple CEO John Sculley is born

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Fremont, California, 1990.
John Sculley in Fremont, California, 1990.
Photo: Doug Menuez/Fearless Genius

April 6: Today in Apple history: Apple CEO John Sculley born April 6, 1939: John Sculley is born in New York City. He will grow up to be hailed as a business and marketing genius, eventually overseeing Apple’s transformation into the most profitable personal computer company in the world.

After a remarkable stint as president of Pepsi-Cola, Sculley will take over as Apple’s third CEO in 1983. He will run Apple for a 10-year period, guiding the creation of the revolutionary Newton MessagePad.

During Sculley’s decade at the helm, Apple will sell more personal computers than any other company. But most people still remember him for his role in kicking Apple co-founder Steve Jobs out of Cupertino.

How to use Focus modes to wrangle all your notifications

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Graphic showing Focus Mode settings, with a photo of a woman working on a MacBook, captioned, “Focus Modes”
Keep your distractions at bay with Focus modes — easier to set up than ever now.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple’s Focus modes are a powerful way to change how your iPhone, iPad and Mac look and feel whether you’re driving, sleeping, relaxing or working. It’s all about fully immersing yourself in whatever you’re doing.

You can change all kinds of things: from who can reach you and which apps send notifications to custom Lock Screens, Home Screens and more. The tools can totally transform how your phone looks and works based on context. You don’t need all the same apps and widgets on your Home Screen while you’re at work or yoga as you do at home. 

Setting up a Focus with rich customization makes your phone more personal. Keep reading to find out how.

Apple iPhone USB security: What that ‘Allow Accessory’ alert really means

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what iPhone 'allow accessory' alert really means
"Juice jacking" may not be much of a threat, but it's easy to avoid just in case.
Photo: Kaboompics, Pexels.com

You’re at the airport, phone battery at 8%, and a USB charging port is right there. You plug in — and your iPhone flashes an alert asking whether to allow an accessory to connect. Should you panic? Are you at risk of “juice jacking?” Probably not. But you should know what that allow-accessory message means, and how to make sure you’re charging safely.

iPhone 17 Pro Max goes to space — and captures Earth

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Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro in front of a bridge with buildings in the distance
The iPhone 17 boldly goes were no smartphone has gone before.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 17 Pro Max has achieved something no smartphone has done before: capturing photos of Earth from outer space. NASA has shared three stunning images taken by astronauts part of the Artemis II mission.

This is the first time astronauts have used a smartphone to capture photos of the Earth.

Apple’s most important products of all time [Cult of Mac podcast No. 14]

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Apple logo with the words
Apple's first 50 years took fans like us on a mighty wild ride.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: The hoopla surrounding Apple’s 50th birthday makes us reflect on the company’s most important products of all time. Contrary to what you might think, most did not become hits right out of the gate.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

  • And then there are the personally most important Apple products. We reveal our first, transformative encounters with Apple computers.
  • Griffin offers his first impressions of AirPods Max 2. Long story short, the headphones sound awesome, the hardware is interesting and yet perplexing, and the Smart Case is still a disaster.
  • Apple killed the Mac Pro on the same day we published a roundup of the best Mac Pro setups. We hope the two events weren’t related.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast 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.