August 25, 1995: Apple releases the PowerBook 5300, the Mac laptop that will save the world from alien invaders in the 1996 blockbuster movie Independence Day.
The computer will make many more big-screen appearances, too. See some of the laptop’s most high-profile Hollywood cameos below.
Apple just gave its smallest Mac an outsized performance upgrade. The company on Tuesday launched new Mac mini versions powered by either the all-new M6 chip or the more powerful M5 Pro, bringing substantially faster performance and a major focus on local AI workloads to the tiny desktop.
“Whether it’s being used as a home computer, powering a professional studio, or as an always-on agentic device, it’s the little Mac that can do it all,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s chief hardware officer. “Today, we’re taking this versatility even further.”
Update: As predicted, Apple released a Mac mini upgraded with M6 and M5 Pro chips on Tuesday, saying the tiny desktop computer “delivers up to 4x faster AI performance, up to 2x faster graphics and storage, along with enhanced connectivity.”
Apple’s next-gen Mac mini may debut in the coming days, possibly even ahead of Apple’s September iPhone event, according to an unconfirmed report published on Monday. The miniature desktop could debut with an Apple M5 or an M6 processor.
The new model should do well — Mac mini demand has exploded in recent months due to the AI boom.
Apple just gave its most powerful desktop Mac a major performance boost. The company on Tuesday introduced an upgraded Mac Studio powered by the M5 Max processor and the all-new M5 Ultra, promising substantially faster AI, graphics and CPU performance in the same compact design.
“Mac Studio is the ultimate desktop for on-device AI and the world’s most demanding pro workflows, relied on by users for its tremendous performance and extensive pro connectivity, all in a quiet, compact design that sits right on your desk — and today, we’re pushing the boundaries even further,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s chief hardware officer, in a press release.
Don’t let Apple’s recent price hikes get you down. Grab a refurbished 12.9-inch iPad Pro with an M1 chip, Liquid Retina XDR display, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for just $459.99.
These Grade B refurbs might not be cosmetically perfect, but their low price tags are a sight for sore eyes. They’re available in silver or space gray (and you can even bump up the storage for a little more dough).
Been waiting for a big fat discount to stock up on Apple’s second-gen AirTags? Your wait is over. This new deal drops the price of a four-pack of Apple’s upgraded Bluetooth trackers to its lowest price yet: just $79.99.
That’s a 19% discount off the regular price of $99 (and the lowest we’ve ever seen for the second-gen model). If you only want a single AirTag, you can still pick up one for just $24 (a sweet 17% discount).
These convenient accessories don’t go on sale very often, so don’t procrastinate. There’s no telling how long this deal will last.
Apple could be preparing an iPhone price increase for this fall. The move would follow Google and Samsung, both of which raised prices on their flagship phones this year.
The iPhone faces the same memory and chip shortages that pushed Apple to jack up Mac and iPad prices back in June. And while an iPhone price increase now looks all but certain, Apple appears to be trying to keep the hike modest.
August 24, 2011: With his health worsening, a cancer-stricken Steve Jobs resigns from his role leading Apple. Tim Cook assumes the role of Apple’s seventh CEO.
“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know,” Jobs writes in his retirement letter to the Apple board. “Unfortunately that day has come.”
Apple is clearing shelf space for a new era of smart home gear. The company is reportedly preparing a significant overhaul of its retail stores this fall. The changes point to more than a routine refresh. And at the center of it all sits the rumored Apple home hub — its first smart display built for the home.
The retail work targets the “Avenues,” the perimeter walls in Apple’s newer stores. These walls showcase HomePod, Apple TV, AirPods, and Beats gear. Store-layout teams are reportedly rearranging these sections and adding new accessory bays. The scale of the project suggests Apple needs room for something significant.
The third-generation KeySmart SmartCard is an ultra-slim wallet tracker compatible with Apple’s Find My network and Google Find Hub. Just slide it into a credit card slot, and you’ve got a foolproof way to find your wallet anytime you misplace it.
For a limited time, the KeySmart SmartCard is on sale for just $31.99 (regularly $39.99).
Apple will reportedly give the iMac an M6 upgrade later this year. As part of this, it also plans to launch the all-in-one desktop in new color options.
Just be aware, besides a faster chip and new colors, Apple supposedly won’t make any other changes to the iMac.
August 23, 2011: United Airlines says it will hand out 11,000 iPads to its pilots as part of its “paperless flight deck” filled with essential data. It’s the largest rollout yet of Apple tablets as a replacement for the weighty flight bags traditionally carried by aircrews.
Going paperless saves around 16 million sheets of paper each year, the equivalent of 1,900 trees not cut down. Even better, the weight difference between the 1.5-pound iPad and the 40-pound flight bag saves an estimated 326,000 gallons of jet fuel per year!
Looking for Claude AI training? The Claude AI Professional E-Degree consists of four courses, with more than 100 lectures, practical projects, automation training, integrations and AI workflow skills.
This hands-on educational bundle will teach you how to make the most of Anthropic’s popular AI — it’s on sale for just $14.97 (regularly $159).
Conventional wisdom says that an iPhone that’s been dropped in water should immediately go into a bowl of dry rice to absorb the excess moisture. Turns out that’s rubbish advice for dealing with a wet iPhone.
Worse yet: It’s actively bad for your device. Here’s what to do instead.
Apple Pencil Pro is the best iPad stylus on the market, and a new deal knocks 25% off the regular cost. It’s packed with high-end features, including pressure sensitivity, Find My support and more.
And for those who don’t need all the bells and whistles of the Pencil Pro, the basic Apple Pencil (USB-C) is currently $69.
Want to add Touch ID to your Mac without giving up your favorite keyboard? A DIY Touch ID project called the Dashboard Touch shows how you can build your own fingerprint sensor for less than $35.
It’s not as secure as Apple’s own implementation, but Anil Dash’s new DIY Touch ID hack should be safe enough for most users.
August 22, 2001: Apple takes home a technical Emmy Award for developing FireWire, the high-speed serial port that allows users to transfer data quickly between a Macintosh and another device, such as a digital camera.
“Apple enabled the desktop video revolution with its invention of FireWire,” says Jon Rubinstein, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, in a press release about the Emmy win.
FireWire plays a key role in Apple CEO Steve Jobs‘ “digital hub” strategy for the company. However, the technology’s origins go back much further than that.
This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: The Apple leaks are getting out of hand! Code in the macOS 26.7 release candidate spills the beans on tons of unreleased Apple products, and that’s just the start.
Tim Cook must be fuming — unless it’s the world’s craziest marketing campaign!
Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:
Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast 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 and also available on our YouTube channel.
Norton Mobile Security protects iOS and Android devices from many of the modern world’s most insidious tech problems. With AI scam detection, real-time malware defense and Wi-Fi security, it can keep your iPhone from falling prey to bad actors.
For a limited time, you can secure 15 months of Norton Mobile Security for just $19.99 (regularly $37.48).
After years of small updates, Apple Watch Series 12 looks ready to kick things up a notch. Rumors point to a faster chip, a returning ceramic option and new AI-powered features.
The launch of the new smartwatch is mere weeks away. Here’s everything reported so far.
Apple’s AirPods with cameras just got a lot less mysterious. Buried in the macOS 26.7 release candidate’s code is a hidden framework that reveals exactly how the earbuds will perceive and process the world around you.
The discovery goes far beyond the recently leaked demo video spotted in the same code. It details resolution numbers, capture modes, calibration systems and a built-in privacy light. This gives us the clearest picture yet of the long-rumored AirPods upgrade.
After years of refusing to support Apple Pay, Walmart is finally letting shoppers tap their iPhone or Apple Watch to pay.
So, shopping at the largest U.S. retailer is about to get easier. But don’t try it this weekend!
August 21, 2008: Microsoft recruits comedian Jerry Seinfeld for a series of ads. It’s a naked attempt to shake the company’s reputation as a stodgy oldster (as opposed to Apple’s trendsetting hipster image).
Microsoft pays Seinfeld a reported $10 million for the ads. However, thanks to the Mac’s appearance in virtually every episode of Seinfeld over the years, the comedian remains the world’s most famous Apple fanboy.
Managing passwords is and always has been a giant pain, but passkeys offer a better way. They are an advanced system that automatically signs you in to online services using your phone’s Face ID (or Touch ID) or your computer’s password.
Switching to biometric authentication or your device’s password means one less thing to remember. Plus, passkeys work without fiddling around with a password manager.
The technology promises a simpler, more convenient and more phishing-resistant way to log in. However, getting started can still feel confusing. Here’s how passkeys work and how to use them across your iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Apple Music will start labeling songs created using AI platforms as “Made with AI.” The company sent a note to its industry partners this week informing them of the change.
The move will require record labels and artists to tag songs if they used artificial intelligence to create a “material portion of the content.”