The way Apple will source new chips for the MacBook Neo 2 means it's getting a RAM boost. AI image: Apple/ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
Apple’s wallet-friendly MacBook is said to be getting a sequel in the next few months. The MacBook Neo 2 release date is reportedly set for the first half of 2027, and is expected as early as spring.
That would put the successor a year after the original arrived in March. It’s drawing attention because the sophomore version will almost certainly address one of Neo’s biggest compromises: 8GB of RAM.
Save 60% when you get Sony LinkBuds right now! Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Sony LinkBuds Open earbuds feature an open-ring design that doesn’t cut you off from the outside world. It’s great for people who hate the way AirPods cut them off from ambient noise from the real world.
ChatGPT now works with iCloud Mail and Calendar. Image: Apple/OpenAI/Cult of Mac
You can now connect ChatGPT to your iCloud Mail and calendar to read and send emails, create calendar events and more.
This should make managing your emails and schedule easier, especially if you heavily rely on ChatGPT for tasks. It also means you can handle more of these tasks without switching between apps.
Imagine easily connecting your AirPods to a plane's entertainment center with AirFly View. Photo: Twelve South
Twelve South introduced AirFly View on Tuesday, a new version of its popular wireless audio adapter that adds a built-in screen to make connecting AirPods easier.
With it, travelers can use their AirPods (or other Bluetooth headphones) with airplane entertainment systems that still rely on traditional headphone jacks.
In an effort to help users spot fakes, iOS 27.2 adds a watermark to some AI images. Photo: Google
iOS 27.2 now stamps AI-generated iPhone images with an invisible watermark called SynthID.
Every Image Playground creation carries the mark, as do some AI-edited photos. This should prove really helpful for spotting fakes — but only if you know how to check.
As Dell computers conquered the classroom, some people accused Steve Jobs of ignoring one of Apple's most important markets. Photo: Rderijcke/Wikimedia CC
October 27, 1999: Dell Computer overtakes Apple in the educational market, stealing Cupertino’s crown as the top company selling computers to U.S. schools. Dell’s cheap Windows PCs make sense for schools looking to buy computers without breaking the bank.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs, still struggling to rebuild Apple after its near-collapse in the mid-1990s, faces heavy criticism for ignoring one of the company’s strongest markets.
Save on essential Microsoft software for Mac or PC. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Not a fan of monthly fees for software like Microsoft 365? This deal lands you a lifetime license to Microsoft Office for Mac or PC at a big discount. You can choose from two versions: the Home version comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. The upgraded Home & Business bundle includes all that and adds Outlook.
★★★★☆
The JSAUX VoidJoy SkyLark S1 Pro is affordable but packed with features. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Jsaux VoidJoy SkyLark S1 Pro game controller packs an impressive assortment of features into a portable and lightweight design.
A highlight is extreme flexibility. It connects to Mac, iPad and iPhone, as well as a Nintendo Switch 2, Android or PC. And connections can use Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless or USB.
I put the very affordable gamepad to the test and came away generally pleased. Here’s what I like and what I don’t.
The M6 processor makes the entry-level MacBook Pro faster, but not more expensive. Image: Apple
Apple just dropped the basic version of its new M6 processor into the entry-level version of the MacBook Pro. This is a traditional “chip-and-ship” upgrade, not a redesign, so the faster processor is the major change to the notebook.
“The 14-inch MacBook Pro is the pro laptop of choice for a wide range of users — from college students, to business professionals across every industry, to multidisciplinary creators doing it all on one device,” said Shelly Goldberg, Apple’s vice president of hardware engineering, in a statement on Tuesday. “With the powerful M6 chip, we’re taking performance to the next level, with a boost in CPU speed and graphics and even more powerful capabilities for on-device AI. With its amazing battery life, remarkable Liquid Retina XDR display, and even faster connectivity, the new 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 delivers a fantastic combination of performance, capability, and value.”
Apple just gave the iMac a “chip and ship” upgrade, adding a faster M6 processor to the standalone desktop computer. The new iMac looks just like its M4 predecessor — and, surprisingly, so does its price tag.
“iMac is the world’s best all-in-one, and today it raises the bar yet again,” said Shelly Goldberg, Apple’s vice president of hardware engineering, in a press release Tuesday.
OLED iPad mini packs some big upgrades. Photo: Apple
With the iPad mini 8, Apple is giving its smallest iPad its biggest upgrade ever. It not only gets a new display technology, but also a faster chip, a thinner chassis and updated connectivity options.
But all these upgrades also come with a $100 higher starting price. So, does the OLED iPad Mini 8 come with enough changes to justify this price hike?
The iPhone Duo's complicated hinge appears to cause catastrophic failure, at least in rare instances. Photo: iFixit
Apple confirmed that there’s a problem with a small number of iPhone Duo units that causes the inner screen to spontaneously break just days after the launch of the foldable,
Replacement is covered by the handset’s own warranty.
iOS 27.2 is here with plenty of new features and improvements. Photo: Apple/Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac
iOS 27.2 is here as the first major update for iOS 27. Released Monday, iOS 27.2 addresses a few annoying bugs while also adding several new features and improvements to the iPhone experience.
Here’s everything you can try after updating to iOS 27.2.
With its Dock on the right side, the iPhone Duo isn't as convenient for lefties. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple is reportedly working on an iPhone Duo Reachability mode that shifts the outer screen’s content to the left or right.
The movie is an (overdue) response to the criticism from left-handed iPhone users levied toward Apple’s first foldable ever since its September announcement. The outer screen’s Dock and other controls sit along the right edge, and this upcoming mode will make that arrangement easier on lefties.
The iPod Photo brought us one step closer to the iPhone. Photo: Apple
October 26, 2004: Apple debuts the iPod Photo, a device capable of putting not just 15,000 songs in your pocket, but also 25,000 photographs. The new device “lets you take your entire music and photo library with you wherever you go,” Apple says.
It is the first iPod to offer a color screen and the ability to display digital images and album cover art. The iPod Photo represents a big step forward in the functionality of Apple’s iconic music player.
Grab this 1TB cloud storage deal that nobody else can beat. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
It’s annoying getting notifications that you’re almost out of storage on your phone or computer. But you can quit playing that ridiculous game with one of the cheapest cloud storage deals around. With this lifetime Koofr plan, you can free up space on your iPhone, Mac or iPad with cloud storage accessible from an unlimited number of devices.
iPad mini (A20) ushers in a lengthy list of improvments. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple introduced the first iPad mini with a larger OLED display on Monday. The upgrade delivers better contrast and richer colors than the LCD screen in the previous model.
In addition, the redesigned tablet features a faster A20 processor, improved water and dust protection … and a considerable jump in price.
“iPad mini is beloved for its fantastic portability, performance, and display by a wide range of users, from creators and small business owners to doctors, field service workers, and gamers,” said Dave Pakula, Apple’s vice president of hardware engineering, in a press release. “With a remarkably thinner and lighter design, a stunning new OLED display, the incredibly powerful A20 Pro, and water and dust resistance, the new iPad mini is a huge leap forward for users who love having the full iPad experience in the palm of their hand.”
iFixit's iPhone Duo teardown reveals some repair surprises. Photo: iFixit
Apple’s first foldable is also the most repairable one yet. The iFixit team tore down the iPhone Duo, revealing its internals and assessing its repairability.
Surprisingly, the Duo sets a new standard for repairability in the foldable category, earning a provisional repairability score of 5 out of 10.
OS X Panther brought cool new features including Exposé to Macs. Image: Guidebookgallery/Apple
October 25, 2003: Mac OS X Panther arrives on Macintosh computers, bringing several useful new features and making Apple’s Safari web browser the default for the first time.
The new Exposé feature in Panther (aka Mac OS X version 10.3) lets Mac users instantly view all open windows at once. And the new iChat AV allows people to talk with audio and video as well as text.
Photos circulating online Friday show some iPhone Duos with distinctive-looking cracks in their folding screens. It’s too early to call it Crackgate, but the launch-day images might make some people nervous about shelling out $2,000 or more for Apple’s first folding phone.
Most of the pictures lack context. However, one user on Reddit posted an image of a screen that reportedly cracked after very little use.
By Sunday, even more images and videos have been posted online, along with theories about what might be causing the problem. Plus, the inevitable iPhone Duo drop tests showed just how fragile the device’s inner screen is.
Edit PDFs without getting locked out of advanced features with Systweak PDF Editor Pro. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
We love a good PDF editor that works on Mac, and Systweak PDF Editor Pro handles editing, converting, signing and locking down PDFs without touching the cloud.
A drop test shows you should put your iPhone Duo in a protective case. Now! Screenshot: PhoneBuff
Drop tests with the new iPhone Duo suggest that carrying the device without a protective case would be a major mistake. While Apple’s first foldable isn’t as fragile as some critics predicted, it is undeniably breakable.
Earlier tests show the handset can easily stand up to heavy use, but drop the device even once and you could crack one of the screens.
A touchscreen is only one of many improvements coming in the next MacBook pro. Concept art: Apple/Cult of Mac
We’re apparently just days away from Apple launching a touchscreen-enabled MacBook Pro. And that’s not the only major change — this is the most significant revamp of the MacBook line since 2021. It’ll set the pattern for macOS models for years to come.
Here are five reasons to get excited about the touchscreen MacBook Pro expected to launch at Apple’s “Pro and Tell” event on Wednesday.
People couldn't wait to discover Steve Jobs' next move after leaving Apple. Photo: Science Museum Group/CC/Modified by Cult of Mac
October 24, 1988: Three years after leaving Apple, Steve Jobs prepares to launch the NeXT Computer, a machine he hopes will cement his reputation as a tech genius and blow away the machines produced by Cupertino.
The new NeXT Computer receives a wave of positive publicity. Fawning stories show exactly what the 33-year-old Jobs has been working on — and what’s coming next.