Congratulations — you got a new iPad! Whether it’s the entry-level iPad that brings the essential features at an affordable price, the iPad Air with the powerful M3 chip, the pocketable iPad mini or the top-of-the-line iPad Pro, you’ll want to set up your new device with the least amount of fuss.

We’re here to help you do just that with a ton of little tips and tweaks that will make sure you’re off and using that new iPad as quickly as possible. From backing up your old iPad (if you had one already) to getting up and running with a brand-new iPad from scratch, we’ve got you covered.

How do you set up a new Apple Watch? Whether you got the surprisingly capable Apple Watch SE 3, the battery-boosted Apple Watch Series 11 or the rugged Apple Watch Ultra 3, you might be wondering how to get started. After all, the Watch is unlike any other Apple device, both in its dependence on an iPhone and in the way it works.

The good thing is, Apple has made it really, really easy to get things up and running. Let’s take a look.

Memories fade, and so does film. Whether it’s old negatives or a box of dusty slides, your memories are safer in a digital format. The Kodak Slide N Scan digital slide and film scanner transforms old film negatives and slides into digital images you can save, share and enjoy — forever.

Normally, this classic media scanner would cost $189.99. But you can grab one for just $164.97 for a limited time.

It’s a great season to get a new Mac, since every model is a great buy. If you’re one of the lucky people to get one this year, here’s how to set up your Mac like a pro.

So rip open that box, tear off that plastic, and let’s get to the good stuff.

Here is Cult of Mac’s guide to setting up your new Mac the right way.

The new iPhone setup process gets easier every year. These days, you only need to do a few things to transfer all your old iPhone data to a new one. Still, certain tips and tricks can smooth the way.

The hot new tip this year is that you can directly transfer data from your old iPhone to your new one using a cable. Plus, other time-honored iPhone setup tricks will help things run smoothly. Here’s how to set up your new iPhone the right way.

December 24, 2009: As rumors of a possible Apple tablet reach the boiling point, word spreads online that the new device will be called the “iSlate.”

The news is based on the fact that Apple quietly acquired the domain name iSlate.com a few years earlier. Since Apple did the same thing for the iPhone back in the late 1990s, years before the iPhone actually debuted, it makes total sense that the company would follow suit with the naming of its tablet.

Of course, that didn’t end up happening.

It’s Christmas Eve, and Santa Claus is making his annual journey around the world. With the help of the NORAD Santa Tracker on your Mac or iPhone, you can see exactly where he is at any moment, and even follow Jolly Old Saint Nick’s route in real time.

Here’s how to track Kris Kringle’s progress as he delivers gifts across the globe.

Apple TV delivered another stellar year of television in 2025, cementing its reputation as a home for premium storytelling across genres. From stellar sci-fi to sharp Hollywood satire, here are 13 standout series that defined the best of the streaming service’s 2025 lineup of new and returning shows.

You should binge them because they’re great. And what better time to do so than during holiday downtime?

Hackers and malicious viruses are very much a concern when you’re on the web, but the biggest threats to your productivity and your privacy come from everyday internet hazards. AdGuard — an ad blocker for iOS, Mac, Android and Windows — helps protect your privacy by shielding you from the hidden bots that track your every online move and turn your data into currency for advertisers and bad actors both big and small.

When it comes to these threats, regular antivirus software won’t cut it. AdGuard, on the other hand, is specifically designed to deal with both annoying ads and the data crawlers hidden inside them. And it’s now cheaper than ever, thanks to a deep price cut. Get a lifetime subscription to AdGuard’s family plan for just $15.97 with code FAMPLAN.

You can turn multiple Live Photos shot on your iPhone into a video. Simply select a group of Live Photos taken in a burst, and you can create a single, stitched-together video that you can save to your library and share on social media. It’s a much more accessible way to enjoy those little snippets of video. 

Here’s how it’s done.

With storms and flash floods becoming more prevalent, it’s more important than ever to stay up to date with the weather in your area. And a weather radar app like Weather Hi-Def Radar lets you do just that.

This isn’t just an upgraded version of the bare-bones Weather app on your iPhone. It’s an alert system and interactive map that allows you to plan your day and stay ahead of tornadoes, wildfires and more. And now, the Weather Hi-Def Radar Storm Watch Plus plan is priced at only $27.97 for life with code RADAR.

December 23, 2005: Apple files a patent application for its iconic “slide to unlock” gesture for the iPhone.

At this point, the iPhone remains a secret research project. However, the ability to unlock the device by sliding your finger across it signifies Apple’s big ambitions for its smartphone. Cupertino wants the iPhone that it’s racing to develop to be easy to use, intuitive and miles ahead of the competition technologically.

As 2025 draws to a close, the Apple community mourns the loss of four remarkable individuals whose contributions shaped the company’s history and the broader technology landscape.

From revolutionary software engineering to visionary leadership and marketing genius, these pioneers left indelible marks that continue to influence how millions interact with technology today.

Apple is opening up its walled garden further with iOS 26.3. As part of the update, it will allow third-party Bluetooth earbuds to pair with an iPhone just as seamlessly as AirPods.

It will also enable third-party smartwatches and wearables to receive and mirror notifications from the iPhone. 

In 2025, Apple moved several well-loved gadgets to its dreaded obsolete list — including the original and popular iPhone SE — meaning hardware service is no longer available. Also chopped were the Apple Watch Series 1, second-generation iPad Pro (12.9-inch), and Apple Watch Series 4 Nike and Hermès models.

There’s often a fuss when Apple makes products obsolete, stemming from frustration with planned obsolescence. A lack of parts makes these older devices unrepairable, forcing upgrades and creating e-waste. Here’s the list of products Apple killed in 2025, and the ones heading to the chopping block in 2026.

December 22, 2013: After months of false starts, Apple finally secures a deal with China Mobile to bring the iPhone to the world’s largest telecom company.

With 760 million potential iPhone customers in the offing, the deal shapes up as Apple’s most important yet for growing its brand in China. In fact, Apple CEO Tim Cook says the country will soon become the company’s biggest market.

December 21, 1994: Mac gamers get their hands on Marathon, a sci-fi first-person shooter designed as an answer to the massive success of PC title Doom. Created by Bungie, the team that would later create the Halo franchise, the new Marathon game introduces important features to the FPS genre.

Just as importantly, it isn’t available on PC. Marathon quickly becomes a favorite among Mac gamers.

If you’re strongly tempted by an iPhone 17, but haven’t yet found a reason to make the jump, then you must not realize how amazing the phone’s new Center Stage selfie camera is. It’s my favorite feature of Apple’s latest smartphones because it makes video calls so much easier on me, and smoother for the people I talk to.

Even better: The base model iPhone 17 gets this great feature, not just the Pro variants.

When it comes to charging an Apple Watch, you typically have two choices: Use a wired charger that plugs into a power source or go with some sort of battery pack. This portable Apple Watch charger is different — it can do both. It comes with built-in USB-A and USB-C and USB-A cables so you can plug it into a computer or wall wart, and a 1,200mAh battery so you can use it to charge wirelessly wherever you go.

It’s ideal for anyone who’s always on the go and wants to keep their Apple Watch powered up without needing an outlet. At just $29.99, it’s a surprisingly capable Apple Watch charger. And it makes a great stocking stuffer for anyone who wears an Apple Watch!

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Leaked code indicates Apple is working on a new iMac Pro, years after the powerful all-in-one faded from the scene.

Does a new iMac Pro make sense in the Apple silicon era? And what price point would make it appealing? We discuss the possibilities.

Also on The CultCast:

• The 20th-anniversary iPhone sounds like a real cracker — if Apple can pull off the impossible.
• Another leak gives us a look at new features coming in iOS 26.4.
• Hate iOS 26’s Liquid Glass user interface? Griffin walks us through a weird hack that will keep your iPhone on iOS 18 forever.
• We wrap up the show with our new trivia segment, Apple Genius. Should we make it a regular addition to the podcast?

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.

December 20, 1996: Apple Computer buys NeXT, the company Steve Jobs founded after leaving Cupertino a decade earlier.

The deal costs Apple $429 million. It’s a massive price to pay for the failing NeXT, a computer company that already saw its hardware division crash and burn. But the price is worth it when you consider what Apple gets as part of the deal: the return of Steve Jobs.

2025 was a big year for Apple. In this end-of-year roundup, we gathered up the most consequential news, groundbreaking rumors and biggest surprises of the last 12 months. 

There were plenty of leaks — in fact, the entire iPhone 17 lineup was exhaustively shown off in the months leading up to September. We also knew most of the other product releases, from the MacBook Air and iPad Air to MacBook Pro and Vision Pro, would consist of simple spec bumps.

But there were tons of curveballs, too. Tariffs rattled Apple’s international supply chain. The Blood Oxygen app for Apple Watch made a sudden return. And no one was expecting a UI redesign quite like Liquid Glass. 

Here’s our look back at 2025.

The SyncPen 4 smartpen makes note-taking easy. Just jot your notes on the system’s reusable notebook, and the smartpen automatically digitizes your handwritten notes and drawings in real time. It also translates your notes, captures audio and performs other neat tricks.

This unique smartpen set is on sale for $129.99 (regularly $139).

Whether you’re shopping for an Apple aficionado who still treasures their original iPod or the productivity ninja who lives and breathes the latest iOS updates, finding the perfect geeky gift can feel like searching for a needle in a digital haystack. Fear not! We gather some of the most ingenious, innovative and downright cool gadgets that’ll make any Apple user’s heart skip a beat. 

From retro-inspired accessories that pay homage to Apple’s legendary design heritage to cutting-edge smart home integrations that would make even Tim Cook jealous, these gifts bridge the gap between nostalgia and innovation. Each selection celebrates the unique blend of form, function, and pure geek appeal that defines the Apple ecosystem. And return to this post, because we’ll keep adding to it. 

Although the Mac offers fantastic support for opening and editing PDFs in the built-in Preview app, the simple act of copying and pasting text from a PDF can still be a nightmare. For instance, selecting text on a two- or three-column document often selects across the whole width of the page, which is totally useless.

Luckily, there’s a better way to copy text from a PDF on a Mac using Apple’s Live Text feature.

Taking a quick screenshot and using Live Text often yields better results when you need to copy text from a PDF or an image. (It also works with photos and old document scans.) Here’s how to do it.