Go viral the smart with TikTokWizard. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Want to know how to go viral on TikTok? Start with a lifetime subscription TikTokWizard, which uses AI coaching, trend tracking, scripts and analytics to help you post smarter and push you into viral territory.
ChatGPT Atlas and other AI-enhanced web browsers might eat Safari's lunch. AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac
Going hands-on with the new ChatGPT Atlas browser for Mac makes it crystal clear that Safari risks becoming irrelevant. Our browsing habits are evolving fast, and Apple’s browser just isn’t keeping up
For years, Safari has been my go-to browser on the Mac due to its speed and power efficiency. But with Apple falling behind in the artificial intelligence wars, and a new breed of AI-boosted browsers coming on strong, that could change. I went hands-on with ChatGPT Atlas to see what the future of internet browsing looks like.
Dynamic Island may trickle down to the iPhone 17e next year. Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Apple’s next budget iPhone — the iPhone 17e — will supposedly feature a Dynamic Island. The iPhone 16e currently sports a notch, the only handset in the company’s lineup to do so.
Unfortunately, this could be the iPhone 17e’s only display upgrade, as Apple does not plan to update the panel to a 120Hz one.
Achieve your resolutions by gaining CompTIA and IT certification training with this $40 bundle. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you resolved to dive into an information technology career in 2025, congratulations! The outlook is great for tech jobs this year and in the decade to come. You can keep the momentum going with IT certification courses that teach you the necessary skills to succeed.
With hundreds of hours of up-to-date training on multiple CompTIA and IT certification exams, this affordable training pack is an invaluable resource. And it’s priced down to only $39.97 (regularly $2,748).
The internet is going crazy over the Apple Vision Pro’s new Dual Knit Band, with AI users creating increasingly fantastical mutant versions of the distinctive-looking strap.
The craze started with people turning the white knit headband into a head-covering hat, but kicked into overdrive after X.com user John Dagdelen posted an image Sunday of a samurai warrior dressed head-to-toe in Vision Pro-inspired armor.
“We are not thinking big enough,” Dagdelen said in his X.com post. Dagdelen, founder of the Fluid operating system for VR headsets, who said he used ChatGPT to create the Vision Pro samurai image.
His AI creation clearly inspired others to think bigger … or at least weirder.
A wild array of AI creations followed, including some that animated Dagdelen’s samurai. The jokesters envisioned all sorts of bizarre designs and uses, from Star Wars characters to high-fashion gowns and handbags. There’s even an automotive design where the lenses make up a car’s front grill and headlights.
“There are some pretty creative ones,” Dagdelen told Cult of Mac.
Pixelmator Pro is one of the Mac apps that could could hit iPad. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Those clamoring for more professional-grade iPad applications could soon get a quartet of them. An analyst found evidence on Monday that Pixelmator Pro and three more Mac apps for graphics professionals are getting ported to iPadOS.
If true, the move should help quiet the critics who complain that the iPad Pro isn’t very “pro.”
At the turn of the century, some observers accused Steve Jobs of failing one of Apple's most popular markets. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
October 27, 1999: Dell Computer overtakes Apple in the educational market, stealing Cupertino’s crown as the top company selling computers to U.S. schools. Dell’s cheap Windows PCs make sense for schools looking to buy computers without breaking the bank.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs, still in the process of rebuilding Apple after its near-collapse in the 1990s, faces heavy criticism for ignoring one of the company’s strongest markets.
With dual drivers and Hi-Res Audio certification, you can count on good sound. Photo: EarFun
New EarFun Air Pro 4+ noise-canceling earbuds are the world’s first Hi-Res certified dual-driver wireless buds with adaptive noise cancellation under $100, EarFun said Monday. So they offer Apple users a potentially compelling alternative to AirPods Pro at less than half the price.
And a launch discount makes the price even harder to resist. See below.
Slide this slim tracker into your wallet or onto your ID badge and feel the Find My love. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
While the AirTag is a handy tool to keep track of things like your car keys or luggage, there are things that Apple’s tracking tag isn’t designed to keep tabs on, such as a wallet or your office card key. That’s precisely why the KeySmart SmartCard wallet tracker makes a terrific addition to your tech arsenal.
Like the AirTag, the SmartCard works seamlessly with Apple’s Find My app. Unlike the bulkier AirTag, the SmartCard’s discreet form factor ensures it can be tucked away easily. The tracker’s ultra-slim, credit-card-like design makes it incredibly easy to fit into tight wallet slots, small compartments or the narrowest of pockets. Plus, it’s rechargeable!
The iPod Photo brought us one step closer to the iPhone. Photo: Apple
October 26, 2004: Apple debuts the iPod Photo, a device capable of putting not just 15,000 songs in your pocket, but also 25,000 photographs. The new device “lets you take your entire music and photo library with you wherever you go,” Apple says.
It is the first iPod to offer a color screen and the ability to display digital images and album cover art. The iPod Photo represents a big step forward in the functionality of Apple’s iconic music player.
Getting max performance out of the next iPad Pro might require more than a faster chip. Image: ChatGPT
The next-generation iPad Pro will almost certainly get an Apple M6 processor for better performance, but Apple will go beyond a new chip to make its next premium tablet even faster: it’ll build in a vapor chamber cooling system, according to a reliable source of insider information.
The change will especially benefit graphic designers who push the GPU in current iPads to its limits.
Get ready for ads in Apple Maps Photo: Griffin/CultOfMac
Apple will reportedly bring ads to Apple Maps — much like it did with the App Store. Efforts to show advertisements to Apple Maps users have supposedly picked up pace within the company.
Apple will let businesses pay to feature their sponsored listings more prominently in its Maps app.
★★★★☆
The box makes for a good display stand. Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The new M5 Vision Pro brings a huge leap in compute power and graphics performance to Apple’s novel mixed-reality platform. The tweaks to the formula deliver better graphics and passthrough video, and longer battery life — plus a more comfortable head band in the box. Unfortunately, it doesn’t include more storage or a lower price.
Apple doesn’t appear to be pushing M2 Vision Pro owners to upgrade. I wouldn’t, either. Rather, if you’re still Vision Pro-curious — and you’ve been pinching your pennies for the past year and a half — the Vision Pro you buy today will be a bit better.
I quickly fell in love with the original Vision Pro. Here’s what I think of the new one.
Prepare for future international travel with major savings on Rosetta Stone. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Whether your travels take you to a variety of destinations or you plan on relocating internationally, communication skills are crucial. You can learn to speak like a native with this lifetime subscription to all 25 Rosetta Stone languages.
Get this innovative language-learning app for only $148.99 with code LANGO (regularly $399). That’s a huge discount on a proven service that has helped users understand foreign languages faster and more effectively for three decades.
There are far more Liquid Glass fans than you might think. AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of mac
The upcoming iOS 26.1 makes it easy to disable Liquid Glass, the translucent, glasslike user interface recently added to the iPhone (and Apple’s other devices). But judging from the results of a poll of Cult of Mac newsletter readers, a large majority of users are quite happy with Liquid Glass.
There’ve been plenty of complaints about the new look, but it seems these are coming from a vocal minority.
The new Vision Pro is definitely more powerful, but the Dual Knit Band's the real upgrade. Image: Cult of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Griffin gets his hands on the new M5 Vision Pro, and he’s all too happy to share his first impressions about the upgraded headset.
Also on The CultCast:
The latest iOS beta offers a strange option for people who dislike Liquid Glass.
New rumors about Apple’s folding iPhone and iPad make both projects sound a bit shaky. And the prices we might pay when these devices finally arrive? Outrageous!
The Mac mini is one smokin’ machine, and it powers some pretty sweet setups.
And finally, we field a question from a listener about our Cult of Mac workflows.
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.
October 25, 2003: Mac OS X Panther arrives on Macintosh computers, bringing several useful new features and making Safari Apple’s default web browser for the first time.
The new Exposé feature in OS X Panther lets Mac users instantly view all open windows at once. And the new iChat AV allows people to talk with audio and video as well as text.
★★★★★
The M5 chip is only one of seven major ways that Apple improved the latest iPad Pro. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The 2025 iPad Pro is the best high-end tablet Apple’s ever made. Don’t make the mistake of dismissing it as a “chip and ship” upgrade because the major change is the new M5 processor. Plenty of other enhancements make the tablet better than the M4 model. It moves files much faster, charges more quickly, offers better Wi-Fi and more.
If you’re still using an older model like the M1 iPad Pro, you’ll see really huge changes for the better if you upgrade to Apple’s latest tablet.
Based on my time with the M5 iPad Pro, here are seven new features that make the tablet really stand out.
Reliable photo uploads to third-party apps is finally coming to the iPhone. Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac
With iOS 26.1, Apple will finally address one of the most annoying issues iPhone users face when uploading photos to third-party apps. They will no longer need to keep the app open for the upload process to complete.
Right now, only Apple’s Photos app can reliably back up your pictures to the cloud even if the app is not in the foreground.
There’s an easy way to keep your apps hidden. Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
You can hide apps on your iPhone so they’re completely invisible, and you can lock all kinds of apps so they require Face ID to open.
Why would you want to? Maybe you have sensitive content you don’t want anyone to see, or you don’t want anyone to know you’re using dating or hookup apps. Hiding apps is also good for staying off social media or away from addictive games. Plus, it’s a great way to declutter your iPhone’s Home Screen. You can really clean things up without deleting apps you might want to keep.
There are, however, a few essential apps on your phone that can’t be hidden. Here’s how it all works.
If you are looking to buy an iMac, there’s no need to pay full price. Photo: Apple
A new M4 iMac deal knocks 9% off the price of Apple’s 24-inch computer, dropping it to just $1,182.10. The all-in-one desktop machine is right for both families and businesses.
Besides its stellar performance, the machine stands out for its beautiful 4.5K Retina display and sleek design.
Anne Meara Stiller, Jerry Stiller, Ben Stiller and Amy Stiller back in the day. Photo: Apple TV
Ben Stiller, a driving force behind Apple TV hit workplace psychodrama Severance, now turns to a much more personal subject as a director: his famous comedian parents. His new documentary, Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost, begins streaming Friday on Apple TV. And it looks like it might prompt laughs as well as tears.
People couldn't wait to discover Steve Jobs' next move. Image: Newsweek
October 24, 1988: Three years after leaving Apple, Steve Jobs prepares to launch the NeXT Computer, a machine he hopes will cement his reputation as a tech genius and blow away the machines produced by Cupertino.
The new NeXT Computer receives a wave of positive publicity. Fawning stories show exactly what the 33-year-old Jobs has been working on — and what’s coming next.
★★★★☆
It's a lot like M4 MacBook Pro -- but under-the-hood upgrades make it much better. Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
After spending some time with Apple’s new base-model 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro, I’ve come to a clear conclusion: It’s an excellent laptop that represents the absolute best iteration of a formula Apple perfected years ago. But whether you should buy one depends entirely on what you’re upgrading from and what you actually do with your computer.
The team behind Shortcuts will now work on the ChatGPT app. Photo: OpenAI
ChatGPT maker OpenAI has acquired Software Applications Inc., a company founded by former Apple employees who worked on Workflow, the software Apple acquired in 2017 and renamed “Shortcuts.”
At Software Applications, the team has been hard at work on Sky, an AI-powered assistant that can perform actions across any app on your Mac. The acquisition should give OpenAI a leg up when it comes to integrating ChatGPT into Macs.