The GameSir X5s is a great and affordable way to upgrade your mobile gaming. Your phone, whichever model you have, slides right in the middle, and suddenly you have console-quality physical controls. It’s lightweight, ideal for traveling, and comes with a simple plastic travel case. 

It even works with the Nintendo Switch — its ergonomic grips are far more comfortable than the flat Joy-Cons. There’s also a matching accessory, the FX5 cooler, that adds active cooling to your iPhone. It’s great for high-performance pro gaming over long periods of time. 

All in all, the GameSir X5s is a great way to take mobile gaming to the next level, whether you’re playing full 3D games or 40-year-old ROMs in Delta. 

AI book generator Aivolut Books employs specialized tools to help you turn an idea into a full, cohesive, Amazon-ready book in just minutes.

It’s a great way to go from brainstorming a book idea to publishing an actual book. And a lifetime subscription costs just $48.99 (MSRP $456). That’s less than the cost of a single editing pass for most books.

Accidentally texting the wrong person can bring disastrous consequences, and yet it’s incredibly simple to mix up threads. Luckily, iOS 26 offers a great way to keep things straight: You can add specific backgrounds to various Messages conversations on your iPhone so you can easily tell them apart.

For instance, if you set a shimmery blue background for your group chat with co-workers, you’ll never confuse that conversation for a sensitive one-on-one text with your closest colleague. You’ll never accidentally send a message to your boss meant for your partner if the chats look obviously different.

Setting up an iPhone Messages background is super-easy — here’s how it works.

The Belkin BoostCharge Power Bank 10K with Integrated Cable is an absolutely simple product that does one thing very well. It charges an iPhone or other device without the user needing to worry about a separate USB-C cable.

I tested it with my iPhone and iPad, looking for problems. Here’s what it’s like in real-world use.

February 18, 2004: Apple CEO Steve Jobs sends an internal memo to employees revealing that the company is, for the first time in years, totally debt-free.

“Today is a historic day of sorts for our company,” he writes. It’s a big turnaround from the bad old days of the 1990s, when Apple carried more than $1 billion in debt — and faced the danger of bankruptcy.

Apple just quietly relaunched Apple Music Connect, repurposing the name of its long-defunct social platform into something entirely different. Now it’s a centralized hub designed for record labels, music distributors and industry partners rather than fans.

The M5 iPad Pro is the most powerful Apple tablet ever, with a chip many Mac models don’t have yet. There have been deals on it before, but it’s never been more affordable than it is right now. That’s because Amazon knocked $200 off the cost of the 11-inch version. And you can save on the 13-inch variant, too.

UPDATE: This deal was so successful that Amazon is currently sold out of the 11-inch M5 iPad Pro. 

iPad Pro is a very capable computer for creatives and digital nomads, thanks to the M5 processor. And don’t overlook the gorgeous OLED display and Mac-like operation thanks to iPadOS 26.

Why pay full price for an Xbox Game Pass subscription when you can get a discount? These stackable one-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions are now on sale for only $24.99 (regularly $29.99).

You’ll gain access to hundreds of excellent games you can play on your iPhone, iPad or Mac (as well as PCs, game consoles, mobile gaming devices and more). 

Buying some configurations of the Mac Studio now means lengthy wait times. While that’s surely frustrating for those shopping for the powerful macOS desktop, this can be taken as a sign that it might be better to hold off on the purchase.

That’s because a new version is on the way.

Apple will hold a “special Apple Experience” on Wednesday, March 4 — but the company might not announce new Macs or other products at the event.

Instead, Apple might announce the events earlier in the week in a series of press releases. The company apparently does not even intend to hold a keynote on March 4.

Apple is putting the pedal to the metal as it rushes to produce new types of AI-powered wearable devices. Three products — smart glasses, upgraded AirPods and an AirTag-size pendant — will rely on built-in cameras, the iPhone’s processing power and the upgraded Siri voice assistant to power new AI capabilities.

A new report, based on anonymous sources within the company, sheds light on what the devices will look like, what they will do, and when we can expect them.

February 17, 1997: Apple launches the PowerBook 3400, a laptop the company calls the fastest portable computer in the world.

After a rough few years for the PowerBook, this model throws down the gauntlet to rivals. It packs a PowerPC 603e processor capable of running at speeds up to 240MHz. While speedier Apple laptops will quickly overtake the PowerBook 3400, at the time, it can keep up with some impressive desktop Macs.

The HomePod operating system occasionally needs updating, because the device is a lot more than a simple speaker — it’s a computer. Here’s how to make sure your Apple smart speaker has the software version released last week. The new HomePod Software version 26.3 is a simple bug-fix update, but it’s still worth installing. Who wants bugs? 

If you depend on automatic updates, it’s possible your smart speaker hasn’t yet installed the update. Here’s how to do so manually.

A major update to Apple Podcasts will introduce full video podcast support this spring using the company’s HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) technology, the iPhone giant said Monday.

The update promises a seamless experience for both viewers and podcast creators, with new tools for monetization and content distribution that Apple said will set a new standard for the medium.

“By bringing a category-leading video experience to Apple Podcasts, we’re putting creators in full control of their content and how they build their businesses, while making it easier than ever for audiences to listen to or watch podcasts,” said Eddy Cue, Apple SVP of Services.

Don’t fear your overloaded inbox: Chorde lets you record and send voice messages directly from Gmail and Outlook. It will save you time, boost your recipient’s engagement, and generally make your emails feel more human.

Chorde lets you quickly and easily embed a clickable audio message right inside your email. No attachments. No extra apps. And no “please download this file.” The recipient just clicks and listens — instantly. And you can get a lifetime subscription to Chorde for just $39.99.

A year ago, I had no clue how to write an iPhone app. Now I’ve shipped a fully-fledged strength training app, built with AI coding tools, or “vibe coding” as it’s become known.

A lot of people get vibe coding wrong. They think it’s just for prototypes and messing around. It’s not. Used properly, it’s a skill you can learn and master. And with modern AI tools like Cursor, and the new Coding Assistant in Xcode, it’s now more accessible than ever.

So, if you’re curious about vibe coding and keen to give it a go, here are ten lessons I learned the hard way.

With macOS Tahoe 26.4, Apple will finally bring a long-requested feature to Macs: a battery charge limiter. This will allow you to select the maximum charge level for your MacBook’s battery.

iPhones have offered a similar battery health feature for a few years now, making its absence on the Mac all the more noticeable.

GameSir is bringing its GameHub emulator to macOS, promising “your Mac is now a gaming PC.” The announcement should thrill Mac gamers, as it also promises to support for the Steam gaming platform.

If GameHub lives up to its potential, it could revolutionize Mac gaming by opening up access to large libraries of titles that are not currently playable on Apple computers.

February 16, 2000: Apple introduces the “Pismo” PowerBook, the finest of its G3 laptops. In the view of many, it’s one of the best Apple laptops ever.

The Pismo PowerBook is the first model without either SCSI or an Apple Desktop Bus connector. Instead, it utilizes a USB port and Apple’s Emmy Award-winning FireWire. Optional AirPort wireless support, tremendous battery life, and a gorgeous, curvy design make this laptop even better.

Apple on Monday announced a product-launch event scheduled for March 4, inviting select media to attend in person what it describes as a “special Apple Experience.” The invitation offers no details on what to expect, but the company is surely preparing to unveil new hardware as it pushes into the heart of its spring product cycle.

Numerous leaks and rumors point to a busy event. A new MacBook Pro, a new MacBook Air, an entirely new low-cost MacBook, the iPhone 17e, revamped iPads and possibly more could all be on the agenda.

Nobody’s thrilled about paying monthly just to keep their files accessible in iCloud, but this storage service gives you 1TB of lifetime cloud storage for just $59.99 (regularly $387).

Instead of committing to another recurring bill, OnlineDrive lets you pay once and keep your storage for the long haul. The entry-level plan includes 1TB of cloud storage, with larger lifetime options available if your photo library, video projects or work files keep growing.

Apple’s MacBook Air continues to prove itself as the ultimate portable powerhouse for creative professionals, students and everyday users alike. Whether you’re team M2 or M3 — or you upgraded to the latest M4 chip — these sleek laptops punch well above their weight class when it comes to driving impressive workstation setups. Our collection of the top 10 MacBook Air setups proves that point. 

February 15, 1982: Apple co-founder Steve Jobs appears on the front cover of Time magazine for the first time. The lengthy cover story makes Jobs the public face of successful tech entrepreneurship.

The first of many Time covers for Jobs, the article — titled “Striking It Rich: America’s Risk Takers” — casts him as the prototypical young upstart benefiting from the burgeoning personal computing revolution. It also identifies him as part of a surge of freshly minted millionaires running their own businesses.

The most powerful MacBook Air ever is just weeks away. Apple is widely expected to be putting the finishing touches on a new model with the speedy M5 processor. The faster chip will be enough for shoppers to question whether they really need the MacBook Pro they have their eye on.

Consider the advantages of a MacBook Air, and why now is a terrible time to buy any Apple laptop.

For iOS 27, Apple reportedly has its priorities clear: deep AI integration and an under-the-hood cleanup for better performance and battery life. 

While iOS 26 was all about Liquid Glass design, it also came with a noticeable performance hit, especially on older iPhones. With iOS 27, Apple appears ready to make amends.