Mac mini may be Apple’s smallest desktop computer, but that doesn’t make it meek. It’s anything but meek, in fact. Today’s M2 Mac mini setup is the user’s first Apple rig, and the computer, working alongside a recent 12.9-inch iPad Pro, drives an impressive 35-inch LG ultra-wide display.
Within weeks of going on sale, Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Air is available with a sweet $50 discount. The deal knocks the price of the entry-level configuration down to $1,249.
You can score a similar $50 discount on the 15-inch Air with M3 chip in 512GB and 16GB configurations. And, if you don’t need that massive 15-inch screen, you can get the 13-inch MacBook Air at an even bigger discount.
Apple reportedly released a tiny, tiny update to iOS and iPadOS on Wednesday. It’s possible this is the new version of the operating system supposedly needed for the much rumored — and much anticipated — 2024 iPad Pro and iPad Air models.
Don’t go looking for the updates on your iPhone or iPad, however.
Update: The latest leak indicates that Apple’s next tablets won’t reach customers until May. They allegedly aren’t just waiting on software; production challenges are also supposedly pushing back the launch.
Apple TV+ pumped up its reputation as a hub for thought-provoking and visually stunning science fiction with Constellation, a series that’s part sci-fi, part horror and part family drama. The intricately plotted space thriller’s season finale airs Wednesday. And, as the season concludes, the show must clear a high bar to make the ending ring true.
After all, hit TV mysteries like Lost disappointed lots fans with their finales. And those same sci-fi fans (and their kids) are sick of being disappointed.
UPDATE: The show’s season finale is satisfying but does not “solve” the mysteries of space travelers’ fractured realities as much as it deepens them while inviting viewers, along with characters, to accept them. In some ways the show seems like a metaphor for mental illness as an unavoidable part of the human condition. The victim and their loved ones must accept what they cannot change so they can move on. And my Lysenko theory, below, turned out to be correct.
Known for compact and affordable chargers, Ugreen jumped into network-attached storage (NAS) devices in a big way Tuesday with a crowdfunding campaign for its new NASync products on Kickstarter.com.
That’s where you can pledge and save 40% on items that suit home and business users alike with high-speed, huge-capacity data storage, the company said.
Your iPhone doesn’t need to look like it came from 2012. You can easily swap out wallpapers and/or customize iPhone Home Screen layouts by adding widgets and folders (and by hiding unwanted apps from your view).
This guide will help set up your iPhone screen so it looks exactly how you want it to.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft expressed disappointment Tuesday over how The Dynasty documentary on Apple TV+ portrayed the football franchise’s championship teams, according to a new report.
Kraft made the comments while talking with reporters at an annual NFL meeting.
Apple CEO Tim Cook’s trip to China apparently scored a big win: Tencent will reportedly bring some of its biggest apps to the Vision Pro AR headset. The company developed both the hugely popular WeChat super app plus a wide array of successful games.
Vision Pro has not yet launched in China but the debut is expected soon.
WWDC24, this year’s big Apple developer conference, will start with a live-streamed event on June 10, the company said Tuesday. During the keynote, Apple undoubtedly will reveal its plans for iOS and its other computing platforms, with a rumored focus on AI.
After the keynote, set to stream for free at 10 a.m. Pacific on June 10, the rest of the week will be filled with prerecorded online sessions that will help developers implement the new features and APIs in their apps.
The conference will take the same format of the mixed online/in-person event Apple utilized the last two years.
Thunderbolt docks bristling with ports are great tools for connecting your Mac to displays and other peripherals in your computer setup. And right now you can get excellent deals at Amazon on well-reviewed 15-port CalDigit Thunderbolt 3 dock or — for blazing-fast connectivity — an 18-port Thunderbolt 4 dock.
The U.S. move toward banning the hugely popular TikTok video service is “hypocrisy.” That’s the opinion of Steve Wozniak, a co-founder of Apple.
He sees no difference between a Chinese company tracking users and U.S. companies doing the same thing.
The new “Why Upgrade” page on Apple’s website shows users of some older iOS models what features they’d get if they traded up to the latest iPhone 15 series.
The tool says “See what you’re missing“ in hopes of convincing shoppers that it’s time to move on from handsets introduced in 2019 or 2020.
Apple TV+ committed to a second season of The Last Thing He Told Me, a thriller that aired in 2023. Jennifer Garner will continue in the starring role.
Season one of the drama is based on a novel of the same name by Laura Dave. Season two will be an adaptation of the forthcoming second book in the series.
Mac users should install macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a patch to remove a bug that affected USB hubs (and made headlines). The update, released Monday, also takes care of a couple of other problems.
Currently, it’s the only OS update coming out of Cupertino on Monday, meaning Apple Watch and tvOS users are still waiting.
★★★★★
Baseus Blade 2 Ultra-Thin Laptop Power Bank is loaded with great features, including two USB-C ports, 12,000 mAh of capacity, a max of 65W output and a built-in status display.
But what sets it part from the pack is its design. It’s slim enough to go easily into bags designed for MacBook and iPad. And it’s relatively lightweight, too.
I tested the Baseus Blade 2 with my gear. Here’s how well the accessory lived up to its promise.
On sale: Baseus is offering $30 off the regular cost. But the deal ends soon.
Today’s M2 Ultra Mac Studio setup puts one of Apple’s most powerful desktop computers front and center, driving a pair of beautiful Studio Displays.
And while the user pointed out his machine packs only base specifications, that’s still a hell of a lot of computer for most people. And if you max it out, the thing is astonishing. Check out the options below.
The next time you buy a new iPhone, it could come out of the box with a fresh iOS software update, according to a new report. A new proprietary system called “Presto” will update it right in the packaging before you buy it at an Apple Store.
Normally, updating iOS is one of the first orders of business for new iPhone purchases. Now it won’t be necessary unless a new update comes out right after their purchase.
The European Commission opened a noncompliance investigation Monday into whether Apple is fully following the rules that went into effect with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. If not, Apple faces potentially heavy fines.
The Mac-maker isn’t being singled out. The EC also opened similar investigations into Alphabet/Google and Meta/Facebook.
Apple will allow for greater iPhone Home Screen customization in iOS 18, including the ability to place app icons anywhere on the screen, according to a new report.
iPhone owners also supposedly will gain the flexibility to create blank rows and columns, though the icons will still snap to a grid.
Why get just one easy-to-fly drone when you can get two camera drones for one low price? This dual-drone bundle includes a Ninja Dragon Phantom K Pro, which can perform impressive tricks and take vivid 4K, even in the hands of a newbie. That killer drone pairs nicely with the Ninja Dragon Blade X Pro, and you get them both for only $149.99 (regularly $369.99).
It’s a two-for-one drone deal you don’t want to miss.
Apple launched Vision Pro on the 40th anniversary of the Macintosh. That’s surely not a coincidence — both are ground-breaking computers that show where the company is headed for the coming decades.
Anyone highly critical of Vision Pro because it appeals only to a niche audience and is very expensive needs to remember that those exact same criticisms were leveled at the original Macintosh in 1984. If the current problems really are proof the AR headset is inescapably doomed — as some have argued — then there never would have been a second-generation Macintosh.
I was around when both computers launched. That gives me perspective on what Apple’s past can tell us about the company’s future.
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook confirmed during his visit to China that Vision Pro will launch later this year in the country. Currently, the company’s $3500 mixed reality headset is only available in the US.
Apple opened preorders for the Vision Pro in mid-January 2024, following its announcement at WWDC 2023. The headset went on sale in the US in the first week of February.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest rumors indicate 2024 will bring big changes to the AirPods lineup. In fact, Apple’s ramping up for “the biggest AirPods launch to date.”
But even this fantastic news can’t cheer us up after the Department of Justice files a wide-ranging antitrust lawsuit against Apple. We recorded this episode of The CultCast right after news of the DOJ’s suit broke, and some of us are fuming!
Also on The CultCast:
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 live stream, embedded below.
Manhunt, the Apple TV+ historical true-crime drama about the search for the assassin of Abraham Lincoln, immediately shot to near the top of the popularity charts of two different ratings services.
And other series and films from Apple are also performing well with audiences.
Should your next Mac be a portable or a desktop? More than 90% of Macs sold are laptops, and it’s easy to see why — MacBooks are light while offering best-in-class performance and battery life. Still, the “iMac vs. MacBook” quandary remains.
In fact, there are some compelling reasons to stick to the iMac (or other desktop Macs like the Mac mini or Mac Studio). You save money and also wind up with a more reliable machine.
Check out our latest video or keep reading below to help you decide.