Bring back the iPod! Apple should start manufacturing its dedicated music player again. With iPhones increasingly banned from schools, a simple entertainment device could fill the gap.
That said, creating a new iPod for the streaming era would not be as simple as bringing previous models back to life.
WhatsApp now supports sharing Live Photos. The feature began rolling out a few days ago, and Meta officially confirmed its release in an announcement on September 29.
With this improvement, you can directly share Live Photos with your friends over WhatsApp without converting them into GIFs or videos first.
You can scan a QR code directly from your iPhone — you don’t need to download a third-party app to get the information you need. Apple even gives you three ways to do it. You can scan a QR code using your iPhone’s camera, using a shortcut in Control Center, or directly from an image in your Photos library
As QR codes become increasingly prevalent, it’s good to know these methods. If you’re in a restaurant and you want to open the digital menu or join the Wi-Fi network, you don’t want to fiddle with installing a third-party app.
To learn three ways you can scan a QR code using your iPhone, keep reading or watch our short video.
iOS 26.0.1 and macOS Tahoe 26.0.1 launched on Monday, bringing a range of bug fixes to the major operating system upgrades introduced earlier this month. That includes taking care of multiple issues in the new iPhone 17 series — some quite serious.
In addition, iPadOS 26.0.1, watchOS 26.0.2, tvOS 26.0.1 and visionOS 26.0.1 all went to users on Monday.
Apple released its Foundation Models framework to developers with iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS 26. It enables third-party apps to tap into the same on-device large language model that powers Apple Intelligence, the iPhone giant said Monday.
“We’re excited to see developers around the world already bringing privacy-protected intelligence features into their apps,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “The in-app experiences they’re creating are expansive and creative, showing just how much opportunity the Foundation Models framework opens up.”
September 29, 2004: Apple launches Logic Pro 7, its professional music creation and audio production software. The update brings new tools and a streamlined interface in line with other Apple software.
“From beginners to pros, Apple is broadening the market with a complete line of music creation and production tools,” says Rob Schoeben, Apple’s VP of applications marketing, in a press release. “With Logic Pro 7, we’re taking professional music creation to the next level with the industry’s most advanced feature set for pro audio.”
The Federal Communications Commission appeared to inadvertently expose detailed electrical schematics for Apple’s iPhone 16e, despite the company’s explicit request to keep the documents confidential. The leak, discovered Monday, looks like a breach of the regulatory agency’s confidentiality protocols and could potentially benefit Apple’s competitors.
Three-time Grammy Award winner Bad Bunny will headline the 2026 Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show. The game will air on NBC, bringing the Puerto Rican superstar to one of the world’s biggest entertainment stages.
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” Bad Bunny said in a press released issued by the NFL on Sunday. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown. This is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”
The game will take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on February 8, 2026.
iOS 26 includes an anti-spam feature that can protect you from getting bombarded with text message spam on your iPhone. You just have to activate it.
It’s easy. Here’s what to do to save yourself from the hassle and potential cost of spam texts.
Apple’s new external monitors for Mac inch closer to release, with their mass production set to begin soon. They should debut alongside the M5-powered MacBooks within the next six months.
In addition to the above, Apple will also refresh the Vision Pro and iPad Pro with faster chips.
If you ever wished your iPhone had real buttons, you need to meet Clicks — the premium iPhone keyboard case that blends nostalgia with next-gen design. On sale for just $99, this premium accessory frees up your iPhone screen and lets you type on physical keys like a BlackBerry.
Remember those?!?
September 28, 1997: Apple debuts its iconic “Think Different” ad campaign. The television commercial aligns the troubled computer company with some of history’s most celebrated freethinking rebels.
The most famous tagline in Apple history, “Think Different” doesn’t just articulate how Cupertino differs from its competitors. It also highlights how Apple, under the leadership of CEO Steve Jobs, will forge a future far different from its floundering, money-losing days of the early 1990s.
The Studio relentlessly mocks Hollywood and the film industry. It stayed popular during its first season, but that wrapped up months ago. This didn’t stop plenty of viewers from tuning back in after the show garnered an amazing 13 Emmy awards earlier this month to once again make it one of the most popular series on streaming, according to a company that track ratings.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: We dish out our reviews of the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone Air and AirPods Pro 3.
How’s the battery life? How’s the cosmic orange? How badly does the iPhone 17 Pro scratch? How good is AirPods’ new Live Translation feature?
In this extra-long edition, we go deep on our first impressions of Apple’s latest gear.
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.
If you want to stay productive in these chaotic times, you need more than a super-clean setup — you require a task-management app for your Mac (or PC). And Pagico 10 is one of the best task manager apps around.
This multifaceted organizer offers lots of functionality, all in the service of helping you keep your eyes on the prize. Now, new users can get the latest version of this productivity software for Mac and PC for only $39.99 (regularly $137).
September 27, 1979: Years before the Macintosh will ship, Steve Jobs and Jef Raskin clash for the first time over the direction of the R&D project to produce Apple’s revolutionary computer. Raskin, the founder of the Macintosh project, wants to produce a machine that’s affordable for everyone. Apple co-founder Jobs wants a computer that’s going to be the best, regardless of price.
Guess who won?
Ever been stranded with a dead iPhone in a crucial moment? Finding the best power banks for Apple devices can be the difference between staying connected and watching your screen go black. Thankfully, the market is loaded with great portable power banks that can keep your iPhone and other Apple devices powered up on the go. We rounded up the top 10 power banks for Apple users, including two of the fastest Qi2.2 models available so far.
This carabiner keychain with Apple Find My integration is a simple but seriously smart accessory that saves you time, stress and a lot of frantic couch cushion digging.
If you’ve ever been late because your keys vanished into the mysterious void of your home, you know the frustration. And for just $17.99, you can stop the madness.
Apple is reportedly testing an AI-powered chatbot that can perform many tasks that the promised Siri upgrade will be able to handle. The app supposedly gives Apple employees a way to test future Siri capabilities, but also to explore whether Siri needs a chatbot functionality.
ChatGPT, Google Gemini and others made AI chatbots mainstream, so not having one in the long-promised Siri revamp would be a glaring omission. One that would draw considerable criticism.
There are a lot of things you can do with old iPhones. In fact, it might be worth keeping them around rather than trading them in. You can use an old iPhone as a DIY HomePod, a games console, a camera, a weather station, a smart display or a digital clock.
Here are the nine things you can do with an old iPhone. Keep reading or watch our video.
Apple’s latest smartphone will step into the major leagues Friday night when the iPhone 17 Pro helps capture live footage during a professional sports broadcast for the first time. The Detroit Tigers vs. Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park, streaming on Apple TV+ as part of Friday Night Baseball, will feature live game footage shot on four iPhone 17 Pro devices, according to MLB.com
And by the way, the game — part of the two teams’ final series of the regular season — has big playoff implications. Apple TV+ subscribers can watch it at no extra cost.
The European Union pushed back Thursday after Apple said the Digital Markets Act — antitrust legislation aimed at broadening competition among tech companies — is backfiring on consumers and forcing Apple to delay key features for European users.
In a detailed statement submitted during the EU’s review process, Apple claimed the DMA is achieving the opposite of its stated goals. Apple’s statement, issued Wednesday, was the company’s strongest criticism of the law to date, and EU leaders did not care for it. But European Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said the lawmakers were “not surprised” by Apple’s stance.
“Apple has simply contested every little bit of the DMA since its entry into application,” said Regnier in a Politico article, adding that Apple has snubbed EU efforts to have positive talks on the matter. “This undermines the company’s narrative of wanting to be fully cooperative with the Commission.”
In addition to the European Commission, some users took issue with Apple’s statement slamming the DMA.
The latest iPhones show the devices’ battery cycle count, helping users track the long-term “health” of the battery. Displaying this data is simple, though it’s somewhat hidden.
In addition, you can check when the iPhone 15, 16 or 17 was manufactured and first activated. (Note: This does not work with older iPhones.)
If you’ve ever hesitated at dropping a few hundred dollars on an Apple Watch, take a look at this smartwatch deal: You can get a Tempo Smartwatch by Tinymoose without spending like it’s launch day at the Apple Store.
The Tempo Smartwatch tracks many of the same health features that an Apple Watch does. And at just $38.99, this is the kind of deal that won’t trigger a high heart rate alert when you look at your credit card balance.
September 26, 1997: In one of his first tasks after returning to Apple as interim CEO, Steve Jobs reveals the company’s massive quarterly loss of $161 million. It’s Apple’s biggest loss ever.
Giving investors the bad news is miserable, but things are about to change dramatically for Cupertino.