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Apple might rely on AI rivals to make Siri smarter

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Apple may rely on rivals to make Siri smarter
Siri might be powered by Anthropic Claude or OpenAI ChatGPT.
Image: Cult of Mac

Apple’s struggle to develop artificial intelligence might reach the point where the iPhone-maker will need to outsource one of its core technologies: Siri. A promised AI upgrade for the voice assistant may be powered by large language models created by Anthropic or OpenAI, not Apple itself, according to an unconfirmed report published Monday.

But this is only a possibility — no decision has been made.

Apple Music’s new Replay All Time expands on annual faves list

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Apple Music Replay All Time
Apple Music launches Replay All Time, a special version of the annual Replay experience that allows listeners to see and stream the songs they’ve played the most since joining Apple Music.
Photo: Apple Music

Apple Music Replay All Time launched Monday, letting listeners see which tracks they’ve played over their history with the service.

It comes as part of a broader 10th-anniversary celebration for the music-streaming service. Other upgrades include an upcoming top-500 Apple Music tracks countdown, special programming on Apple Music Radio and a new Apple Music studio planned to open in Los Angeles this summer.

Today in Apple history: Apple Music 1 radio station brings 24/7 radio to Apple Music

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Screenshot shows Beats 1 radio on Apple Music on an iPhone.
Free round-the-clock radio came to Apple Music on this day in 2015.
Photo: Apple

June 30: Today in Apple history: iPad surpasses 100,000 exclusive apps June 30, 2015: Apple launches 24/7 radio station Apple Music 1 (launched originally as Beats 1). Part of Apple Music, the new global radio station features top DJs ranging from former BBC presenter Zane Lowe to top musical artists like Lil Wayne.

Apple calls Apple Music 1 “the biggest radio station in the world” and says it beats (no pun intended) all other music stations when it comes to concurrent listeners. However, without hard figures to back that up, some call out Cupertino on this claim.

Apple Music marks 10 years with new bleeding-edge music studio

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Apple Music 10th anniversary
Apple dedicates its new studio space in Los Angeles to artist-driven content, innovation in audio and deeper fan connection.
Photo: Apple Music

Apple Music celebrates its 10th anniversary by opening an ambitious new creative music facility in Los Angeles, in addition to offering special programming on Apple Music Radio, the iPhone giant said Monday. The new studio signals the streaming service’s commitment to supporting artists and expanding beyond traditional music streaming.

“Apple Music Radio has always been a home for storytelling and artistry, serving as a space for bold conversations and surprising moments,” said Rachel Newman, Apple Music’s co-head. “With this new studio, we are furthering our commitment to creating a space for artists to create, connect and share their vision.”

Long live Apple’s late, great iPod Hi-Fi stereo [Setups]

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iPod Hi-Fi
That ultra-wide monitor on the right seems even wider because it's so narrow. And don't miss the light saber over the window.
Photo: markgsj90-Reddit.com

Near the very top of my list of enviable things about computer setups sit two drool-worthy items — one, when the setup is in an irresistibly cool remodeled space, like a man cave or a she shed, and two, when the setup’s audio blows the dang roof off. Today’s expansive example is a multi-computer, multi-display outfit in the UK with a very special stereo system, one of Apple’s brilliant failures — iPod Hi-Fi. It’s so much more than an iPod dock.

Lighter, cheaper Vision Air could rescue Apple’s headset dream

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Vision Air rumors
Apple is hard at work on a more affordable Vision Air headset.
Photo: Apple/ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

The Vision Air is on the drawing board at Apple, according to a trusted analyst. This more consumer-friendly version of the Vision Pro AR headset reportedly will weigh less and cost less. But it won’t be out soon.

At the same time, Apple is also working on its first foray into smart glasses. These are also supposedly still years away, though.

Generate AI-optimized resumes and cover letters with this all-in-one job search tool

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Photo of a person using MyCVBot AI resume builder on a tablet
Generate all the customized resumes, cover letters and other materials you need in an instant,
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Upgrade your career toolkit with MyCVBot, an AI-powered resume builder designed to help you create standout job applications effortlessly. This smart assistant works on practically any device and makes sure every resume, cover letter and email you send looks polished and professional.

For a limited time, you can secure lifetime access to this tool for just $59.99 (regularly $299).

Apple might launch its most affordable MacBook yet next year

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Blue MacBook Air sitting on a gray linen ottoman on a blue fuzzy rug on a gray laminate floor
A wild rumor says Apple's working on a cheaper new MacBook.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple could launch a MacBook next year that’s even more affordable than the current $999 13-inch MacBook Air. The new budget laptop supposedly will use an A18 Pro chip and come in several colors.

The company hopes to boost MacBook shipments to return to the COVID-19 peak of around 25 million next year with this move.

Anker recalls six power banks globally over safety concerns

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The power station features plugs for appliances as well as ports for gadgets.
You might want to stop using your Anker power bank.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Anker, a renowned accessory maker, has initiated a global “voluntary recall” of its six power banks. While the company says there’s no fire risk, it’s issuing the recall out of an “abundance of caution.”

If your Anker power bank is part of the recall, you’ll receive a replacement or a gift card after the company verifies your claim.

Discount code: Get a versatile iPhone scanning app for $24.99 (works with iPad, too)

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Scan documents with your iPhone or iPad with iScanner, now only $35.
This iPhone and iPad-compatible scanning app works wonders.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

With the right scanning app, your iPhone or iPad can scan documents with vivid clarity. There’s no need for a printer-size scanner — you just need your Apple gear. A great example of such an app, iScanner is now on sale for only $24.99 with code SCAN (regularly $199.90).

Today in Apple history: Fans line up to get their hands on the very first iPhones

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A photo of people looking at the first-gen iPhone inside a glass case on the original iPhone launch date.
The smartphone that changed smartphones!
Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac

June 29: Today in Apple history: Fans line up to get their hands on the very first iPhones June 29, 2007: The first iPhone launch date arrives, giving excited Apple fans lined up outside stores their first chance at owning the game-changing smartphone. The queues that greet the device around the world prove that Cupertino is onto a good thing with the smartphone, first shown off by Apple CEO Steve Jobs earlier in the year.

The launch-day fervor offers a glimpse of just how revolutionary the iPhone will become.

Why spend $500 on the Switch 2 when $17 solves the real problem?

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Photo of HyperX ChargePlay Quad 2 Nintendo Switch Joy-Con charging dock
Save 43% on this Joy-Con charging dock (with free shipping).
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Every Switch gamer without a Joy-Con charging dock knows the feeling of passing out controllers to friends on a Friday night, just to realize the batteries in half of them are dead.

Rather than only charging two at a time on the console itself, it’s time to get a Joy-Con charging station. They’re cheaper than you think, and they will let you stop playing Joy-Con roulette Grab one now for just $16.99 with free U.S. shipping (regularly $29.99).

iPhone 17 Pro camera bar could prompt Apple logo relocation

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iPhone 17 rumors: Apple logo
The Apple logo could be on the move in the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro.
Photo: Apple

The most significant design change to the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max might force a secondary modification. The large camera bar reportedly coming to the two premier models could push down the location of the Apple logo, according to a noted tipster.

If true, the new location might cause problems for case makers and irritate MagSafe users.

5 rumored iPhone 17 upgrades I’m excited about

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Rumored iPhone 17 features
Rumors indicate the iPhone 17 will bring big upgrades. These have me all excited.
Image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

From a long-overdue cooling upgrade to a redesigned camera island, rumors indicate the iPhone 17 lineup will deliver meaningful changes. Here are five rumored iPhone 17 features that have me genuinely excited for Apple’s next devices.

Today in Apple history: Mac LC 520 sets its sights on the classroom

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LC 520
The Macintosh LC 520 became the face of classroom Macs three decades ago.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

June 28: Today in Apple history: Mac LC 520 sets its sights on the classroom June 28, 1993: Apple ships the Macintosh LC 520, an “all-in-one” Mac targeted primarily at the education market.

The first Macintosh ever shipped with a non-optional 2x CD-ROM drive, it is designed to capitalize on schools’ growing multimedia requirements. For more insights into Apple’s journey, check out apple news today and explore the history of iconic Mac launches like the Macintosh LC II.

Google Photos fixes its biggest HDR editing flaw

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Google Photos on an Android phone
Your bright HDR photos will now survive a Google Photos editing session.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Google Photos’ advanced editing tools will now play better with HDR photos. They preserve both the dynamic range and HDR metadata after edits.

The photo backup tool is also gaining a new “Ultra HDR” tool. It will enable you to control the brightness of HDR images.

How to set up the best Mac screensaver, Aerial

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Aerial screensaver on a Mac
Beautiful.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Screensavers fell out of fashion a long time ago, but Apple’s Aerial screensaver looks so beautiful, it just might make you reconsider. In fact, with its stunning visuals, it might just be the best Mac screensaver around.

The Aerial screensaver started on the Apple TV, showing gorgeous, sweeping helicopter photography of the world’s greatest natural landscapes, underwater sights and cityscapes — even shots from space. Now, if you have a desktop display set up somewhere prominently in your house, you can get the same beautiful vistas on your computer with the Aerial screensaver for Mac.

Here’s where to find this beautiful Mac screensaver, plus some setup tips that will really help it shine.

Picture-perfect Studio Display rig puts iPad Pro front and center [Setups]

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studio-display-ipad
Nick's setups has changed a lot since the one we showcased in early 2024.
Photo: [email protected]

A growing number of people rely on iPad tablets — particularly iPad Pro — as their main daily driver. And with iPadOS 26 software currently in beta testing and available to all in September, this will become even easier to do. Today’s featured iPad-Studio Display setup doesn’t abandon Mac — in fact, it includes a hidden M4 MacBook Pro — but it makes the most of iPad Pro and looks damn good doing it.

This MacBook upgrade plan starts at just $33 a month

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Photo of a laptop with the Upgraded MacBook monthly payments plan, with an image on-screen that says
Subscribing to the latest, greatest MacBook has never been so easy.
Image: Upgraded

Want to buy a MacBook and pay monthly? Apple fans love staying current. But when it comes to MacBooks, upgrading isn’t always easy. Base models at big box stores can feel underpowered. Reselling is a pain. And dropping $2,000-plus upfront? Not ideal.

That’s why more people are switching to Upgraded, a MacBook installment plan that starts at just $33.28 per month. It lets you customize your machine’s specs, and offers an easy upgrade every two years.

No resale headaches. No massive upfront cost. Just the Mac you want, when you want it.

Taron Egerton chases arsonists in Smoke on Apple TV+ [Now streaming!]

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Targon Egerston chases arsonists in Smoke on Apple TV+
Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett star in “Smoke,” debuting June 27 on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ heats up this summer with the true-crime drama Smoke season 1 igniting small screens everywhere Friday, with investigators on the trail of two serial arsonists. The streamer recently revealed a first look and a trailer, below, for the nine-episode series, starring and executive produced by Taron Egerton. And now you can watch the show on Apple TV+.

Inspired by the popular podcast Firebug, Smoke reunites the creative team behind Apple’s critically acclaimed limited psycho-drama Black Bird. It should appeal to fans of crime dramas, psychological thrillers and the previous Dennis Lehane-Egerton collaboration on Black Bird. Smoke looks like a must-watch addition to the Apple TV+ lineup.

Update 2: Smoke streams as of Friday, June 27, on Apple TV+. Reviews so far are mixed but leaning positive. The Boston Globe said the show “stretches too much story over too many episodes.” But The Guardian said “no TV show has ever been worth sticking with more,” adding the “smart, mesmerizing and hugely entertaining” series more than pays off after the first two somewhat shaky episodes.

Update 1: Apple TV+ just released a new trailer for upcoming drama series Smoke. Clocking in at just over 2 minutes, the tense trailer pits two would-be allies — the Fire Dept. arson investigator played by Egerton and the Police crime scene expert played by Jurnee Smollett — against each other in a psychological game with a timer on it. When will the arsonists, whoever they are, kill again? And at least one of them might be Egerton’s character.

Today in Apple history: Terrible quarter marks the end for Apple CEO Gil Amelio

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Apple losses Gil Amelio
Apple wasn't always a global behemoth.
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

June 27: Today in Apple history: Terrible quarter marks the end for Apple CEO Gil Amelio June 27, 1997: The last day of another disappointing quarter brings an end to CEO Gil Amelio’s 500 days running Apple.

The $56 million quarterly loss contributes to an overall deficit of $1.6 billion during Amelio’s reign. The slump effectively wipes out every cent of profit Cupertino earned since fiscal 1991. After losing money for six out of the last seven quarters, Apple seems past the point of no return.

If Photoshop and ChatGPT had a baby, it’d be this AI photo editor

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Man checking a photo on his DSLR camera while working on his desk using AI photo editor PicWish.
You can do it all with this AI-powered photo editor.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

AI photo editor PicWish lets you remove backgrounds, unblur or sharpen pictures, and generally enhance your images in all kinds of ways. It’s easy to use but yields impressive results that would have been impossible (or required an advanced degree in an expensive tool like Adobe Photoshop) just a few years ago.

With this PicWish deal, you can slash the price of the credits you need to pull off these fantastic image tweaks. You can get 5,000 PicWish credits for just $59.99 (regularly $95.95).

Apple Podcasts celebrates 20 years with 20 favorite shows

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20 years of Apple Podcasts
Need a good podcast? Here are 20 Apple Podcasts thinks are the best in the past two decades.
Photo: Apple

Apple celebrated 20 years of Apple podcasts on Thursday by unveiling a curated collection of 20 shows that it said helped shape the medium into what it is today. The first podcasts in iTunes debuted back in 2005, before the name “Apple Podcasts” became a thing. This new list is like a roadmap to quality content that goes back in time.

“This list is a love letter to the podcasts that left a lasting impact on us and the ones we continue to recommend again and again,” the streamer wrote. “They are shows with hosts that feel like friends, and shows that make us press play immediately on the latest episode to hear what happens next. These shows have measurably improved our lives and helped define this medium we know and love.”