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iPhone 16 Pro Max battery could get an energy density upgrade

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iPhone 15 Pro Max teardown
Apple's next Max iPhone could use a battery with higher energy density.
Photo: iFixit

Apple could use higher-density cells for the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s battery. This would allow the company to improve battery life without increasing the battery size. Or it could reduce battery capacity without negatively affecting the phone’s runtime.

Also, for the first time, Apple might use a stainless steel battery case on the upcoming iPhone.

Western Digital launches world’s first 6TB 2.5-inch portable HDDs

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WD My Passport HDD
WD My Passport HDD is now available in capacities up to 6TB.
Photo: Western Digital

Western Digital expanded its WD, WD_BLACK and SanDisk Professional product lineups with 2.5-inch portable HHDs that, for the first time, can hold 6TB of data.

Despite what some might expect, pricing is not through the roof. The new high-capacity hard drives (not SSDs) are available for under $200,and all cost less than $230.

This AI tool is the Swiss Army knife of the internet

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This $50 AI tool is the Swiss Army Knife of the internet.
Create content, images and more with a single AI productivity tool that costs less than $17 for life.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

It’s easy to get lost in all the hype around artificial intelligence when really, all we want from AI is all we ever wanted from technology: to get our drudge work done faster and better. That’s precisely what Taskio — a versatile AI productivity tool that can write, generate images and more — can do for entrepreneurs or anyone else who works online.

For a limited time, you can grab lifetime access to the Taskio AI productivity tool for only $16.97 (regularly $540).

Best clip-on game controller is ready for the latest iPhone [Review] ★★★★★

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Backbone One USB-C game controller review★★★★★
Backbone One USB-C game controller makes high-end gaming a pleasure on iPhone.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Backbone One USB-C game controller adds real buttons, sticks and triggers to the newest iPhone models, and Androids too.

This is  second-generation version of the wrap-around gaming accessory that’s beenupdated, to better fit handsets in protective cases.

I really enjoyed testing the controller out with the iPhone 15 Plus. It lived up to my high expectations.

Bag bargains on Apple accessories in Belkin Memorial Day Sale

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Belkin Memorial Day sale
Belkin makes great MagSafe chargers like the BoostCharge Pro line.
Photo: Belkin

Belkin is such a favored maker of MagSafe chargers and other Apple accessories that the iPhone giant sells many of them directly on its site. But for bagging bargains in the Memorial Day Sale Belkin launched this week ahead of the holiday, you’re better off hitting the links to its site, below.

You can get 20% off site wide, plus an additional 50% off refurbished products! The sale started Tuesday and runs through May 27.

Crazy-thin iPad Pro models hold up under early bend tests

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M4 iPad Pro bend tests
It turns out your super-thin M4 iPad Pro can stand up to some serious bending.
Photo: JerryRigEverything

Three new videos test just how “bend-but-don’t-break” Apple’s new super-thin M4 iPad Pro is, and the answer is “very.” Reviewers came away impressed by how well even the ultra-thin 13-inch M4 iPad Pro performed. And the 11-inch model did well, too.

JerryRigEverything performed bend tests as part of a teardown of the 13-inch M4 iPad Pro. AppleTrack stuck with comparing bends of 11- and 13-inch 2024 iPad Pro models against the 2022 versions. And MobileReviewsEh showed new models held up under massive pressure about as well as older models despite being about 20% thinner.

RetroArch and PPSSPP join growing list of retro game emulators for iPhone

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RetroArch and PPSSPP retro game emulators for iPhone
You can play nearly any classic game with one of these emulators.
Photo: Daniel De Matteis/Henrik Rydgård

Those who want to play classic retro games on iPhone or iPad have a couple of new options. RetroArch can emulate a wide variety of consoles, while PPSSPP is a PlayStation Portable emulator.

There’s been something of a flood of these since Apple dropped its ban on them.

Samsung mocks Apple’s controversial ‘Crush!’ iPad Pro ad

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Apple video for iPad Pro - Crush
Samsung will never let go off an opportunity to mock Apple.
Photo: Apple

Samsung’s new “UnCrush” ad aims to capitalize on the backlash to Apple’s “Crush!” ad for the M4 iPad Pro. The South Korean company’s ad, released Wednesday, is a clear response to Apple’s controversial video, which showed a hydraulic press crushing musical instruments, toys and art supplies.

Samsung’s ad shows a woman playing a song on a battered guitar — using a Samsung Galaxy tablet to display the sheet music, naturally. You can see both ads below.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows action RPG slashes onto Mac this fall

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Assassin’s Creed Shadows action RPG slashes onto Mac
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is coming to Mac -- no PC needed.
Image: Ubisoft

When Ubisoft launches Assassin’s Creed Shadows this November, Mac will be on the list of platforms supported by the action-packed role-playing game.

The adventure is set in medieval Japan, and players can choose either a samurai or a shinobi for very different gaming experiences. For more details on the game’s setting and storyline, check out the latest updates on Assassin’s Creed Japan.

Folks hold onto iPads longer than ever these days

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iPad buying cycle slows - M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air now on sale
Folks may have just been waiting for the new M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air.
Image: Apple

The iPad buying cycle has slowed because iPad owners increasingly hold onto their old tablets for longer periods than in the past, a new analysis showed Wednesday.

However, the just-ended wait for the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air could be a big reason why. It was a long one. The previous generations both came out in 2022.

Confirmed: Redesign makes M4 iPad Pro incompatible with older cases, keyboards, styli

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M4 iPad Pro with older Apple Magic Keyboard
M4 iPad Pro absolutely does not work with previous Apple Magic Keyboard.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A change in the location of magnets built into the M4 iPad Pro breaks compatibility with a wide array of accessories designed for earlier models. That includes many folio cases, clip-on keyboards, and styli. Many of Apple’s own previous offerings are on the incompatible list, too.

Apple had already warned of this, but Wednesday’s launch of the tablet allows real-world tests to confirm the full extent of the affect.

Apple showcases amazing new accessibility features like Eye Tracking

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Apple accessibility features
With Eye Tracking, a user can navigate iPhone or iPad using just their eyes.
Photo: Apple

Apple showcased some remarkable new accessibility features for people with disabilities Wednesday, including Eye Tracking, Music Haptics and Vocal Shortcuts.

The new features, coming later this year to Apple devices, harness Apple silicon, artificial intelligence and machine learning. They will come mainly to iPhone and iPad, though some new ones will appear in Vision Pro’s visionOS, too.

“We believe deeply in the transformative power of innovation to enrich lives,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a press release. “That’s why for nearly 40 years, Apple has championed inclusive design by embedding accessibility at the core of our hardware and software. We’re continuously pushing the boundaries of technology, and these new features reflect our long-standing commitment to delivering the best possible experience to all of our users.”

Developer’s M1 Max MacBook Pro cranks out the work [Setups]

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M1 Max MacBook Pro setup
A 16-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro drives this developer's setup.
Photo: [email protected]

Our setups coverage often reveals clues to Apple hardware’s functional longevity. An iOS and macOS developer uses today’s setup. Even though two new generations of powerful Apple silicon chips have supercharged more recent MacBooks, he’s still cranking away on an M1 Max MacBook Pro run through an OWC Thunderbolt 4 dock.

In fact, he just updated his setup. But that turned out to have nothing to do with the computer. It was all about adding decorative toy figures, an LED light strip and a new wooden countertop as a desk.

New iPads make it much easier to manage battery health

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iPad Battery Health menu
Quickly checking iPad battery health just got a lot easier with M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The new M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air finally make it easy to manage your tablet’s battery heath from the Settings app. iPadOS finally has a Battery Health menu in its 17.5 version, but it only works with the new iPads, not older models.

The new feature lets you limit charges to 80% capacity, which can extend the battery’s lifespan.

M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air go on sale

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M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air design
The M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air are now on sale.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air are now on sale. Customers who preordered the tablets are also getting their units today in launch countries.

If you did not preorder the new iPads, you can pick one up from your nearest Apple store or authorized retail store.

OpenAI’s amazing GPT-4o could be the next Siri

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OpenAI GPT-4o
The new OpenAI GPT-4o AI-powered chatbot might be part of iOS 18 and macOS 15.
Image: OpenAI

OpenAI’s GPT-4o, a new version of the company’s artificial intelligence chatbot, is a significant step forward from its predecessors. Demonstrations show the AI interacting with users in ways that seem startlingly human.

Unconfirmed reports indicate Apple and OpenAI are negotiating a deal that would build some version of GPT into iOS and macOS.

Apple loses ground to archrival on smartphone satisfaction

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smartphone customer satisfaction - iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone lost a bit of ground to Samsung on customer satisfaction.
Photo: Apple

Apple has lost its customary lead on smartphone customer satisfaction as archrival Samsung has drawn even overall and gone ahead in one area, according to new data.

New findings from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) show Apple’s rating went up a point, but Samsung’s rose three points to tie overall and creep ahead on 5G satisfaction.

Denon adds Siri to smart speakers (with one big catch)

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Siri works with Denon speakers
Got a HomePod or HomePod mini? Go ahead and talk to Siri through some Denon speakers.
Photo: Denon

Audio specialist Denon added the Siri voice assistant to certain wireless speakers and a soundbar this week — only the second third-party product line to do so. But there’s a catch. Siri only works with the speakers if you also have a HomePod or HomePod mini speaker to act as a relay.

The same is true of the first non-Apple products that added Apple, ecobee smart thermostats. But it’s a little weirder this time because it’s all speakers. Only an Apple speaker will let you use Siri with Denon’s speakers.

Space gray vs. silver MacBook [Buyer’s guide]

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2024 MacBook Air
The dark side ... or the light?
Image: Apple

After you’ve settled on a model and the specs you need, there’s still one more crucial decision to make before you buy a MacBook Pro: silver vs. space gray. And with the MacBook Air, you have two more options (starlight and midnight).

If you want an attractive and cohesive setup, the color of your Mac is the centerpiece of the whole look.

Which color is best? I always go with silver — but here are some things to consider before you make your decision.

M4 iPad Pro review roundup: Slim, gorgeous but a bit limited

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M4 iPad Pro in use
Early reviews of M4 iPad Pro are full of positives with some negatives.
Screenshot: Apple

The first reviews of the M4 iPad Pro praise its slim design, its beautiful screen and its speedy new processor. But there’s also some criticism of the limitations imposed by iPadOS.

Read on for the highs and lows of early reviews of Apple’s new top-of-the-line tablet.

2024 iPad Air reviews roundup: Bigger, and probably ‘pro’ enough

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2024 M2 iPad Air with Apple Pencil Pro
Compatibility with the new Apple Pencil Pro is one reason to buy this year's iPad Air.
Photo: Apple

The first reviews of the 2024 iPad Air paint the tablet as a budget version of last year’s iPad Pro.

Here’s the consensus of the early M2 iPad Air reviews: If you want a big-screen iPad, but don’t need (or don’t want to pay for) high-end features like an OLED screen, Face ID and Apple’s most powerful processor, this is the tablet for you.

Vision Pro should go on sale outside US soon [Updated]

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Woman holding a Vision Pro in front of her face, capturing her Vision Pro Persona
Vision Pro probably won't be a U.S. exclusive for much longer.
Photo: Apple

The wait to get Apple Vision Pro is apparently nearly over for consumers in more than half a dozen countries.

Although the AR/VR headset launched in the United States this winter, availability has yet to expand outside the borders of Apple’s home country. But Apple Store employees around the world are reportedly getting trained on the device. And the headset reportedly cleared a major regulatory hurdle Monday for launching in China.

Save up to $50 on new M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air

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M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air design
We don't have to wait for deals on the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air.
Photo: Apple

M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air are so new they haven’t even reached customers yet and there are already deals on many configurations. There are discounts on a variety of screen sizes and built-in storage options.

Savvy shoppers can save up to $50 by buying these hot new tablets from Amazon.