December 28, 2006: As the rest of the country enjoys a much-deserved holiday, Apple gets embroiled in a stock option “backdating” scandal.

The news, centered on the dubious awarding of stock options to CEO Steve Jobs, prompts Apple’s share price to fall. Some people even suggest Jobs might need to step down as Apple’s leader. Fortunately, that doesn’t happen.

2025 was a busy year for Apple. The company launched multiple new products, some of which pushed its lineup forward in meaningful ways. However, others left plenty to be desired. Looking back, it’s clear that Apple delivered both standout successes and some head-scratching misses.

Here’s a look at the best and worst Apple products of 2025 — the ones that got everything right, and the ones that missed the mark completely.

In software development, having the right tools can make all the difference between sinking and succeeding. If you’re on the hunt for such tools, Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 — on sale now at an insane 98% off from Cult of Mac Deals — stands out as a powerhouse for developers who want to enhance productivity and streamline the coding process.

This professional-grade 64-bit integrated development environment is more accessible than ever. It can improve how you and your team approach your programming. Act fast to get Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 for just $9.97 (regularly $499).

The first folding iPhone is expected to break iOS out of its years-long rut, and new rumors give us the most complete picture yet of a handset supposedly set to launch in 2026.

These come from a formerly prolific source of often reliable Apple leaks.

December 27, 2010: Almost four months after the second-gen Apple TV’s debut, Cupertino says it has sold 1 million of the streaming video devices.

The news shows that Apple’s set-top box is gaining momentum. However, Apple’s PR move — which included a preemptive press release issued on December 21 that said Apple “expects sales of its new Apple TV to top one million units later this week” — is also a low-blow shot at competitor Roku, which recently said it planned to hit the 1 million unit mark by the end of 2010.

macOS is powerful out of the box, but with the right apps, the experience gets even better. In 2025, several Mac apps became essential to my daily workflow, reducing friction and boosting my productivity.

Here are my five favorite Mac apps of 2025. All of them are free (or at least free to try), although some require payment to access advanced features.

With the wealth of AI tools available, the problem isn’t finding one that will get the job done. The real issue is finding the best fit for your budget. You might be able to find independent AI tools like ChatGPT or Dall-E for generating copy, creating logos, building stories and more, but AI MagicX does it all under one subscription, and you only have to pay for it once. That makes it a perfect suite of AI tools for business.

This robust AI platform includes tools for designing logos, generating art, creating chatbots, writing articles and creating stories. There’s even a document editor. And for a limited time, you can get a lifetime subscription on sale for just $59.97 (regularly $972).

December 26, 1982: Time magazine names the personal computer its “Man of the Year.”

It’s the first time a nonhuman entity wins the award, which was created in 1927. The award devastates Apple co-founder Steve Jobs — because he thought the accolade would go to him.

Another year, another incredible collection of Apple workstations in Cult of Mac‘s Setups section that make us rethink our own desk situations. From devices powered by the powerful M4 chip family to innovative display solutions and clever space-saving tricks, the top 10 Apple setups of 2025 brought us some truly remarkable gear and uses for it.

We combed through hundreds of featured workstations on Cult of Mac to bring you the cream of the crop — setups that excel in raw computing power, aesthetic beauty, functional innovation or that perfect combination of all three.

There are three Apple TV settings I always tell people to change as soon as they set theirs up. While I heartily recommend the Apple TV over the clunky and ad-infested experience of Roku and other smart TVs, it’s not perfect. You’ll want to change a few things to make it right. 
First of all, you can put one of the Siri Remote buttons to better use. The TV button, by default, opens the Apple TV app — but you can have it take you to the Home Screen instead. Also, you’ll want to change the Home Screen to show your Continue Watching list, not its recommendations. And finally, you can turn off those annoying Apple TV sports notifications to stop the interruptions while you’re watching your shows. 
Change these three annoying default settings, and you’ll be in for a far better viewing experience. Keep reading or watch our video to find out how.

December 25, 1977: Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak spends the holidays building a prototype of the Disk II, the Apple II computer’s revolutionary floppy disk drive.

“I worked all day, all night, through Christmas and New Year’s trying to get it done,” Wozniak would later recall in his autobiography, iWoz. “[Early Apple employee] Randy Wiggington, who was actually attending Homestead High, the school Steve [Jobs] and I had graduated from, helped me a lot on that project.”

Wiggington takes December 25 off. Woz does not.

It’s not too late to give your Christmas tree a holiday makeover that any Apple fan would be proud of. Grab some string, download Cult of Mac’s awesome decorations inspired by iconic Apple devices, and get hanging!

Congratulations — you got a new iPad! Whether it’s the entry-level iPad that brings the essential features at an affordable price, the iPad Air with the powerful M3 chip, the pocketable iPad mini or the top-of-the-line iPad Pro, you’ll want to set up your new device with the least amount of fuss.

We’re here to help you do just that with a ton of little tips and tweaks that will make sure you’re off and using that new iPad as quickly as possible. From backing up your old iPad (if you had one already) to getting up and running with a brand-new iPad from scratch, we’ve got you covered.

How do you set up a new Apple Watch? Whether you got the surprisingly capable Apple Watch SE 3, the battery-boosted Apple Watch Series 11 or the rugged Apple Watch Ultra 3, you might be wondering how to get started. After all, the Watch is unlike any other Apple device, both in its dependence on an iPhone and in the way it works.

The good thing is, Apple has made it really, really easy to get things up and running. Let’s take a look.

Memories fade, and so does film. Whether it’s old negatives or a box of dusty slides, your memories are safer in a digital format. The Kodak Slide N Scan digital slide and film scanner transforms old film negatives and slides into digital images you can save, share and enjoy — forever.

Normally, this classic media scanner would cost $189.99. But you can grab one for just $164.97 for a limited time.

It’s a great season to get a new Mac, since every model is a great buy. If you’re one of the lucky people to get one this year, here’s how to set up your Mac like a pro.

So rip open that box, tear off that plastic, and let’s get to the good stuff.

Here is Cult of Mac’s guide to setting up your new Mac the right way.

The new iPhone setup process gets easier every year. These days, you only need to do a few things to transfer all your old iPhone data to a new one. Still, certain tips and tricks can smooth the way.

The hot new tip this year is that you can directly transfer data from your old iPhone to your new one using a cable. Plus, other time-honored iPhone setup tricks will help things run smoothly. Here’s how to set up your new iPhone the right way.

December 24, 2009: As rumors of a possible Apple tablet reach the boiling point, word spreads online that the new device will be called the “iSlate.”

The news is based on the fact that Apple quietly acquired the domain name iSlate.com a few years earlier. Since Apple did the same thing for the iPhone back in the late 1990s, years before the iPhone actually debuted, it makes total sense that the company would follow suit with the naming of its tablet.

Of course, that didn’t end up happening.

It’s Christmas Eve, and Santa Claus is making his annual journey around the world. With the help of the NORAD Santa Tracker on your Mac or iPhone, you can see exactly where he is at any moment, and even follow Jolly Old Saint Nick’s route in real time.

Here’s how to track Kris Kringle’s progress as he delivers gifts across the globe.

Apple TV delivered another stellar year of television in 2025, cementing its reputation as a home for premium storytelling across genres. From stellar sci-fi to sharp Hollywood satire, here are 13 standout series that defined the best of the streaming service’s 2025 lineup of new and returning shows.

You should binge them because they’re great. And what better time to do so than during holiday downtime?

You can turn multiple Live Photos shot on your iPhone into a video. Simply select a group of Live Photos taken in a burst, and you can create a single, stitched-together video that you can save to your library and share on social media. It’s a much more accessible way to enjoy those little snippets of video. 

Here’s how it’s done.

December 23, 2005: Apple files a patent application for its iconic “slide to unlock” gesture for the iPhone.

At this point, the iPhone remains a secret research project. However, the ability to unlock the device by sliding your finger across it signifies Apple’s big ambitions for its smartphone. Cupertino wants the iPhone that it’s racing to develop to be easy to use, intuitive and miles ahead of the competition technologically.

As 2025 draws to a close, the Apple community mourns the loss of four remarkable individuals whose contributions shaped the company’s history and the broader technology landscape.

From revolutionary software engineering to visionary leadership and marketing genius, these pioneers left indelible marks that continue to influence how millions interact with technology today.

Apple is opening up its walled garden further with iOS 26.3. As part of the update, it will allow third-party Bluetooth earbuds to pair with an iPhone just as seamlessly as AirPods.

It will also enable third-party smartwatches and wearables to receive and mirror notifications from the iPhone. 

In 2025, Apple moved several well-loved gadgets to its dreaded obsolete list — including the original and popular iPhone SE — meaning hardware service is no longer available. Also chopped were the Apple Watch Series 1, second-generation iPad Pro (12.9-inch), and Apple Watch Series 4 Nike and Hermès models.

There’s often a fuss when Apple makes products obsolete, stemming from frustration with planned obsolescence. A lack of parts makes these older devices unrepairable, forcing upgrades and creating e-waste. Here’s the list of products Apple killed in 2025, and the ones heading to the chopping block in 2026.