This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: After OpenAI’s Sora app races to the top of the App Store charts, it’s time to consider how fantastic and terrifying it really is.

The iPhone-only app produces startlingly photorealistic videos of wacky things like Pikachu as a World War II soldier and iJustine wrestling an elephant. Will we ever be able to believe our eyes again?

Also on The CultCast:

• Former Apple design chief Jony Ive and his new BFFs at OpenAI reportedly run into some serious problems as they work to create an AI device to take on the iPhone.
• iOS 26 lets you screen iPhone calls even more efficiently than before. Griffin shows us how it the upgraded features work.
• A switcher lands a great deal on a MacBook Air, then goes all in on the Apple ecosystem. Talk about the halo effect!
• And finally, the latest iOS 26.1 beta brings some interesting new features — Griffin tells us all about them.

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 version, embedded below.

October 11, 1995: Steve Jobs files the paperwork to float Pixar Animation Studios on the stock market.

A turning point in Jobs’ life, the Pixar initial public offering turns him into a billionaire. But things very nearly don’t turn out so well.

It’s the ultimate battle of the small Mac keyboards: Logitech MX Keys Mini vs. Apple Magic Keyboard. Choosing between these two premium compact keyboards is tough, and the decisions you make can significantly impact your daily typing experience and productivity.

They’ve both become top contenders for professionals and tech enthusiasts alike. And while they’re similar, they’re not the same.

Find out which is better for you in our head-to-head comparison. 

Some previous rumors point to an upgraded MacBook Pro with Apple’s M5 processor launching very soon, but other reports say it won’t be out until 2026. Turns out both might be correct.

A leak on Friday indicates the MacBook Pro running the base version M5 chip will debut quite soon. However, the variants with the M5 Pro and M5 Max supposedly won‘t launch before 2026.

If you’re uncomfortable with social media apps tracking your movements, or worried about data falling into the wrong hands, here’s how to stop them using your iPhone’s built-in location settings.

If you find yourself traveling to a country with an authoritarian government, clearing your phone’s location history is a safe bet. Or if you’re moving to a different city or to a new job, it can be annoying seeing travel suggestions to the wrong place. Resetting your location history will start from a clean slate.

These moves may also protect you from shady data brokers, who spy on and sell your movements. Here’s how.

An Apple each day becomes your doctor someday. That’s the rumor anyway: Apple is reportedly prepping a Health+ service for launch in 2026 that will use AI to dispense advice on nutrition, exercise and more.

Whether the service will someday give out medical diagnoses remains a much murkier question.

The Dragon G3X gaming headset is built for long sessions, clear comms and serious style — all without costing a fortune. It comes with a retractable microphone, a comfortable handband and wild lights for your RGB gaming setup.

Whether you’re grinding ranked matches, streaming or just hopping on a late-night raid, this headset brings immersive sound and comfort that lasts. Plus, it’s currently on sale for just $49.99, a 37% discount off the regular price of $79.99.

October 10, 1993: Apple ships its Macintosh Color Classic II, the last of the 9-inch compact Macs.

Also known as the Performa 275, the Color Classic II will eventually become something of a collector’s item, since Apple released it only in Canada, Asia and Europe.

How would you like to be the lone U.S. marshal covering a vast Alaska region when a jet loaded with dangerous convicts crashes, setting dozens of killers free? That’s the premise for Apple TV+’s new The Last Frontier series. And before long it becomes clear it may not have been an accident at all, but just the first step in a terrifying plan.

The good news is you don’t have to be the marshal. You can just watch his struggle in the tense, 10-episode series starting Friday.

Reviews so far are mixed. Collider said: “The Last Frontier is an engaging, often surprising manhunt thriller that elevates itself through a great central performance from Jason Clarke and smart, unexpected plotting that constantly evolves as the story unfolds.” But The Hollywood Reporter noted the show “goes from fun to tedious in a hurry.” AV Club called it “far more silly than chilly,” teeming with “exposition dumps” and “inane twists.”

Streaming Friday, the new Apple TV+ documentary series Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars gives an unprecedented look behind the scenes of the world’s most prestigious restaurants in their quest for coveted Michelin stars.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and his Studio Ramsay Global production company produce the eight-part series. It promises to deliver high-stakes culinary drama and unprecedented access to the secretive Michelin ratings process. Watch the trailer below. 

Reviews so far lean positive, calling the show “riveting” and praising its realistic, fly-on-the-wall look at chef’s lives and what drives them. 

Apple is preparing for a major internal reorganization ahead of COO Jeff Williams’ retirement later this year. As part of the rejig, Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, will oversee the health and fitness team.

Meanwhile, leadership of the watchOS division will move to Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software engineering.

This SleepEez deal knocks HyperGear’s mini noise-blocking sleep earbuds down to less than $20. These tiny, super-affordable earbuds block out distractions and lull you into deep, uninterrupted sleep. Plus, they are ultra-slim, lightweight and comfortable enough for side sleepers.

They shield your ears from snoring and other undesirable sounds that can keep you awake. And right now, you can grab a pair for just $19.97 (regularly $34.99). Your well-rested future self will thank you.

Thinborne, a small business based in Texas, designs super-thin iPhone cases using aramid fiber — a material commonly used in the aerospace and military industries. The latest example is Thinborne’s new iPhone 17 Pro case, which lets you enjoy the functionality of Apple’s most impressive phone yet in style.

But don’t let the sleek aramid case’s minimalist style fool you. This slim iPhone case delivers on its promises. You can count on it to be long-lasting and durable — scratch-resistant and able to handle moderate impacts.

Shockingly, many of the amazing discounts on Apple gear that we saw during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days remain available for anyone who blinked and missed them. Some disappeared, but some actually got better!

We double-checked the deals early Thursday. Below, you can see all the best Prime Big Deal Days sales still going on Apple gear, from AirPods to iPads to MacBooks to the Studio Display. And that includes Apple audio subsidiary Beats, too.

Be aware that Amazon’s pricing often changes, and we have no idea how long any of these amazing Apple deals will last.

The Belkin Stage PowerGrip adds to an iPhone the grip that DSLR camera users are familiar with. Built into the grip is a battery that sends power to the handset via the MagSafe magnetic charging mat integrated into the device.

After being unveiled early this year, the product finally launched on Thursday.

October 9, 1991: A court orders Apple to pay $26.5 million to Apple Corps, The Beatles’ record label and holding company, for trademark infringement. The end of this Beatles versus Apple lawsuit marks the second time Cupertino is forced to pay the English rock band.

The ruling comes a decade after Apple swore it would never get into the music business.

Ready to convert to Mac? I came across one user who scored a nice student deal on a MacBook Air, and soon found themself upgrading their whole outdated PC setup as a complete, highly functional and reasonably affordable Apple-ecosystem rig. 

“I’m so so cooked … the Apple ecosystem is a huge trap!” they joked. “Don’t let one device get into your house.” 

The PNY Duo Link V3 external SSD includes both a USB-C and a USB-A connector. That means the flash drive can plug into a recent Mac, iPad or iPhone, but can also go into a smart TV or other accessory that lacks a USB-C port — no adapter needed.

And it’s quick, with data transfers at up to 800MB/s. Capacities go up to 2 terabytes.

I put the affordable SSD through a series of real-world tests. Here’s what I found.

If your résumé still looks like you last updated it on your old MacBook from 2012, you need a résumé template to make sure your job application stands out. Luckily, you don’t need to hire a designer or spend hours fiddling with line spacing.

With ResumeInventor’s All-Access Lifetime Plan, you gain instant access to more than 950 premium résumé templates crafted by professionals who know what actually catches a hiring manager’s eye. And right now, you can secure this lifetime subscription for less than $60.

Screening calls on iPhone has finally gotten good. It’s now possible to block and screen all calls from unknown numbers and lead a life of peaceful zen. Apple has added a trio of features to iPhone to screen calls: one aptly named Call Screening, as well as Live Voicemail and Silence Unknown Callers.

Using these features together gives you a great way to stop unknown callers on iPhone. The Call Screening feature pairs very well with Live Voicemail. With both of these turned on, unwanted calls will be far less intrusive, but you will still be able to pick up important calls as they come in.

Here’s how to screen calls and other annoyances without missing any crucial conversations.

Apple Watch’s new hypertension notification feature expands to Canada. It will alert users when it detects signs of high blood pressure.

Apple announced hypertension detection at its “Awe Dropping” September event.

Apple will expand Emergency SOS via satellite on the iPhone and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to Mexico later this year.

The feature will enable iPhone and Apple Watch users in Mexico to contact emergency services outside mobile network coverage.

Finding the perfect Sony headphones for iPhone might seem challenging when Apple pushes its own audio ecosystem so heavily. This comprehensive guide examines each model’s features, pros, cons and pricing to help you find the perfect match for your specific needs and budget. Let’s dive into what makes these Sony headphones exceptional companions for your iPhone.

October 8, 2014: Apple says it is “surprised” after GT Advanced Technologies, the supplier previously rumored to make ultra-strong sapphire glass displays for the iPhone 6, files for bankruptcy.

The announcement appears to mark the end of the road for sapphire glass iPhone screens, a highly anticipated upgrade that promised to make devices more durable but never arrived.

Thanks to generous deals, the portable SSD you’ve been wanting is probably available at well below the usual cost. There are top-quality ones available at low prices — we found deals on portable SSDs from Samsung, Kingston and more. Save up to 33%.

You can easily increase the storage capacity of your Mac, iPad, etc., without over-stressing your credit card.