There are just so, so many security patches in iOS 26.5.2. Image: Cult of Mac
Apple released iOS 26.5.2, macOS Tahoe 26.5.2 and iPadOS 26.5.2 on Monday with no additional features but lots of security fixes. There are no fewer than 29 of them listed in Apple’s documentation.
Clearly, even though they lack fun new features, you should install these updates ASAP.
Apple snapped up the maker of the SwiftUI app Play. Photo: Apple
Apple just acquired assets from Rabbit 3 Times, the New York-based company behind Play, an iOS and macOS app that let developers design, prototype and generate SwiftUI code in real time. The deal surfaced this week when the European Commission published the filing on its Digital Markets Act acquisitions page. Play won an Apple Design Award for innovation in 2025.
Apple Vision Pro launched in early 2024 under Paul Meade's hardware leadership. He's now bringing that product expertise to OpenAI. Photo: Apple
Apple doesn’t often lose vice presidents, but something unexpected happened this week: Paul Meade, who spent about seven years building the Vision Pro and shaping Apple’s smart glasses plan, is reportedly leaving for OpenAI.
If you own a Vision Pro or are waiting for Apple’s smart glasses, this is the executive exit that should concern you. Meade doesn’t just hold a title — he shipped the headset and was also planning what comes next.
Wondershare PDFelement is an all-new PDF editor powered by AI. It's an affordable alternative to Adobe's PDF tools.. Photo: Wondershare.
For basic PDF viewing, annotations, and document signing, Apple’s Preview remains one of the most convenient tools available on macOS.
However, modern PDF workflows often require more advanced capabilities, including PDF editing, OCR, file conversion, document organization, security controls, and AI-powered productivity tools. Wondershare PDFelement provides these features within a single platform, making it a practical choice for users who regularly work with PDFs beyond simple viewing and markup.
The smartphone that changed smartphones! Photo: Traci Dauphin/Cult of Mac
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.
Apple just raised prices on MacBooks and iPads by as much as 20%, and now its reportedly lobbying for a controversial fix. Photo: Google Gemini/Cult of Mac
RAM has gotten so expensive that Apple is reportedly willing to stir up a political storm just to secure its supply. The solution may involve buying RAM from a Chinese chipmaker that the Pentagon says has ties to the Chinese military.
It wouldn’t be illegal. But that doesn’t mean there wouldn’t be consequences for the Mac maker.
If you think Apple displays are amazing now, just wait a few years. Color will really pop. AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
Future MacBook Pro, iPad Pro and iMac models look set to gain OLED displays with dramatically richer color, according to a new report Monday. That’s because upcoming Apple OLED panels target a wider color gamut, a new industry standard that makes today’s screens look narrow by comparison.
★★★★★
Ugreen's new USB-C charger and power banks pack a lot of power into a compact form factor. Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac
My backpack is full of gadgets. But the accessories that frustrate me the most are usually the ones meant to keep them charged. Chargers are bulky, power banks are heavy and both add unnecessary weight when I’m traveling. Worse, magnetic power banks make phones heavy and awkward to hold.
Ugreen tackles those problems with its new Nexode Air charger and MagFlow Air power bank. After using them for a few weeks, here’s what I think about them.
Apple's new iPhones could be unveiled on these dates. AI image: ChatGPT
Apple could unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and foldable iPhone on September 8 or September 9, 2026. That’s what Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman estimates based on Apple’s previous release timeline.
If accurate, the new iPhones could go up for preorder later in the week and hit retail stores on September 18.
This SanDisk portable 2TB SSD is on sale for 46% off! Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
The SanDisk Extreme is a pocket-size 2TB SSD that’s speedy and reliable. It hits read speeds up to 1,050 MB/s and write speeds up to 1,000 MB/s over USB 3.2 Gen 2.
And right now, you can grab this tiny SSD (that’s gigantic on the inside) on sale for just $269.99. That’s nearly half off the regular price of $499.99.
Every Mac's Apple silicon processor includes RAM and storage outsourced from memory chipmakers. Photo: iFixit
Can’t understand why the rising cost of memory chips forces a hike in Mac prices? Apple silicon processors include Unified Memory, so Apple has no need to buy RAM chips, right?
No, that is not how it works. Mac processors include RAM that Apple must purchase from outside suppliers.
Leonardo's iPhone license plate camera tech can read Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and RFID signals from devices passing by. Photo: Leonardo US Cyber and Security Solutions
The camera mounted on the streetlight has done one job for years: photograph your license plate. That could soon change. A new sensor upgrade is reportedly underway to detect Bluetooth signals coming from your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods — turning routine plate scans into a record of which devices, and which person, just drove by.
If you’ve always treated your iPhone’s Bluetooth signal as harmless background noise, it’s time to rethink that. Every time you pass these cameras, they could pull a wireless fingerprint of your devices and link it to your license plate. This builds a trail far richer than a single photo ever could. It also stitches your phone into a database that has nothing to do with Apple.
Apple wasn't always a global behemoth. Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
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.
macOS 27 Golden Gate marks the end of the road for Intel Macs. If you’re still using one, this is the strongest reason yet to consider upgrading to an Apple silicon Mac.
While your Intel Mac will continue receiving security updates for a while, it has effectively reached the end of its journey. And that’s not a disaster, considering the newer Apple silicon Macs are not only faster and more efficient, but they’re also the ones getting access to all the new AI features. Here are eight reasons it’s finally time to upgrade.
WhatsApp's latest iPhone update adds keyword search for Channels, making old posts much easier to find. Photo: WhatsApp/Cult of Mac
WhatsApp is fixing one of its most annoying iPhone quirks: endless scrolling through channels just to find a post. WhatsApp is now rolling out in-channel search to iPhone, which means you can type a keyword and jump straight to the update instead of hunting for it manually.
If you follow a channel that posts often, you already know the pain. Updates pile up fast, and until now, finding an old one on your iPhone meant scrolling back post by post. Now, your iPhone can search channels just the way it goes through your regular chats.
iPhone 18 will probably look a lot like this iPhone 17, but it will have a smaller RAM boost inside than previously expected. Photo: Apple
Upcoming iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e will ship in spring 2027 with 9GB of RAM rather than the 12GB earlier reports predicted, according to a social media post Friday by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
There's apparently a very good reason why the touchscreen MacBook Ultra won't pack high-end Apple M6 processors. AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
The touchscreen MacBook rumored for the fall won’t launch with Apple’s high-end M6 processors, according to a reliable source. The notebook — possibly dubbed the MacBook Ultra — will reportedly use the same M5 chips in the current MacBook Pro variants.
This surprise move will apparently be part of the shakeup in Apple’s processor plans that made news earlier this week. The M6 chips that might have gone into the MacBook Ultra have supposedly been nixed.
Apple will donate to disaster relief efforts in Venezuela, Apple CEO Tim Cook said Friday. Back-to-back earthquakes struck there Wednesday evening and left hundreds dead, thousands injured and entire neighborhoods in ruins.
There's a global shortage of memory chips. But whose fault is that? AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
Macs and iPads just got a lot more expensive overnight, with prices jumping 15% to 20%. Apple says a global memory chip shortage forced its hand, but a top executive at one of its own memory chip suppliers hinted Apple may have helped create that shortage in the first place.
What makes this interesting is the timing: a Micron executive’s pushback on memory prices lands right as Apple blames the memory shortage for its price hikes. So who is really to blame? Here’s what’s going on.
Apple started accepting App Store submissions on this day in 2008. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
June 26, 2008: A year after the first iPhone was released, Apple sends an email to developers calling for smartphone software to be distributed in the forthcoming App Store.
Coders around the world greet the news with excitement. They hurry to submit their iPhone apps and get in on the looming App Store gold rush. Many rake in small fortunes when the App Store goes live less than a month later.
Save on all your travel needs with a lifetime sub to OneAir. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Airfare is getting more expensive, and those prices won’t improve during peak travel times. With one of the best AI flight scanners on the market, and exclusive prenegotiated travel deals, OneAir’s Elite plan stands apart from the pack. It’s an AI travel app that can help you save on flights, hotels and rental cars for life.
Will the conversational Siri AI come to your current HomePod? Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Siri AI, Apple’s next-generation version of its voice assistant, might push everyone’s HomePods toward obsolescence. Technology is moving on, apparently leaving these smart speakers behind.
Still, the devices aren’t about to become rubbish. They’ll just miss out on some of the new Apple Intelligence features. Here’s what’s going on.
A user joked that this setup is so clean it looks like artificial intelligence generated the image. Photo: [email protected]
Among the thousands of Mac setups posted to social media each year, a small subset earns a reaction that’s different from the usual approving nod or dismissive scowl. These are the ones that make commenters stop mid-scroll and type something. “Peak coziness.” “Oozes good taste.” “This looks AI-generated.” Cult of Mac has featured hundreds of genuinely attractive workstations over several years, but the ones below stand apart as the most beautiful Mac setups.