Mobile menu toggle

Siri AI can now talk to your iPhone apps — starting with your car

By •

Siri AI's integration with third party apps begins
In iOS 27 beta 3, Siri AI can now pull data from select third-party apps, including Tessie.
Image: Max Weinbach/X/ChatGPT

In the latest iOS 27 developer beta, Siri AI can pull live information from third-party apps on your iPhone. It’s the kind of feature Siri should’ve had years ago — and now, it’s finally here.

Right now, it only appears to work with a couple of electric vehicle apps, letting you ask Siri things like your car’s battery level. But it’s a signal of where Siri AI is headed — an assistant that finally acts as a bridge across your entire phone, not just Apple’s walled garden.

Apple extends Broadcom partnership despite in-house chip push [Updated]

By •

Apple's Broadcom deal reveals long-term chip strategy
There'll be Broadcom chips in Apple devices for the foreseeable future.
Photo: Broadcom/Cult of Mac

Apple locked in one of its most important chip suppliers for years to come.

Broadcom revealed in a securities filing that it has extended its longstanding technology partnership with Apple through 2031. The companies signed new multi-year agreements under which Broadcom will develop and supply custom chips for use in future generations of Apple products.

The deal is valued at over $30 billion, will lead to the production of more than 15 billion U.S.-made chips.

“Apple and Broadcom have a long history together, and this new phase of our partnership further accelerates our commitment to American manufacturing and innovation,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, in a statement.

iPhone 18 Pro Max battery might get bigger battery (but 18 Pro won’t)

By •

A picture of the iPhone 17 Pro Max used in a story about the iPhone 18 Pro Max's increased battery capacity rumors.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max is getting a battery jump — the iPhone 18 Pro, not so much.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is reportedly getting a huge battery upgrade — while the standard Pro model might get almost no bump at all.

That could make this the year the Pro Max truly earns its name with a battery gap wider than anything we’ve seen before.

Apple just added a Google Cloud warning for your iPhone’s AI features

By •

A picture of Google Cloud logo used in a story about Google Cloud warning on the iPhone.
This Google cloud warning appears when using certain Apple Intelligence features.
Photo: Unsplash

Your iPhone is about to get a lot more transparent about where your data goes. Apple is rolling out a Google Cloud pop-up warning that protects your privacy by letting you know before certain Apple Intelligence features send your prompts off-device, and it’s already live for some users right now.

The heads-up appears when you use certain image- and shape-generation tools. It won’t block you from using these features, though. It simply makes sure you know your data is leaving Apple’s own servers before you hit send.

This Apple Intelligence feature won’t work unless you pay for 2TB iCloud+

By •

Get ready to pay more for iCloud+ if you want to use Apple Intelligence Home features.
Get ready to pay more for iCloud+ if you want to use Apple Intelligence Home features.
AI image: ChatGPT

Apple Intelligence-powered features in Apple’s Home app will require a 2TB iCloud+ plan, according to a footnote in macOS 27 developer beta 3. As part of the upgrade, the Home app uses AI to generate summaries of motion alerts from compatible HomeKit Secure Video cameras.

In the United States, the required 2TB iCloud+ plan costs $10 per month. Alternatively, it is a part of the Apple One Premier bundle, which costs $37.95 per month.

AirPods Ultra could beat Apple’s smart glasses to market

By •

A picture of AirPods used in a story about the much rumored AirPods Ultra.
Code buried in iOS 27 beta points to AirPods Ultra, not smart glasses, as Apple's next camera-equipped wearable.
Photo: Unsplash

Apple’s smart glasses may be waiting, but AirPods Ultra may just be confirmed. Buried in iOS 27’s beta code is a mystery wearable that reads images from two cameras, located on each side of your head. And Apple’s own sample data has it identifying the Eiffel Tower and a coffee mug.

If you’ve ever wanted Siri to actually see what you’re looking at instead of just hearing you describe it, this could be it. Apple is reportedly working on just that, and the newly spotted code hints at how close it might be, and which product, AirPods or glasses, is likely to land first.

Today in Apple history: After a horrible quarter, Gil Amelio gets the boot

By •

Bringing on Gil Amelio was viewed as a big coup for the Apple board.
This was the end of Amelio's 500 days running Apple.
Photo: Apple

July 6: Today in Apple history: After a horrible quarter, Apple CEO Gil Amelio is fired July 6, 1997: Following a massive quarterly loss for Apple, board member Edgar S. Woolard Jr. calls CEO Gil Amelio and informs him that he needs to step down. “You’ve done a lot to help the company, but the sales haven’t rebounded,” Woolard says.

Steve Jobs, who recently returned to the company he co-founded, denies being responsible for Amelio’s ouster. However, the move results in Jobs becoming Apple CEO for the first time. Now it’s time for a real turnaround!

This USB-C dock powers your Mac, iPhone and more from one hub [Review] ★★★★☆

By •

The Spacemate RD1 Pro’s compact vertical design packs 15 ports, a front display, and a built-in Qi2 wireless charger.★★★★☆
The Spacemate RD1 Pro packs 15 ports and a Qi2.2 wireless charger.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

My desk setup revolves around a Thunderbolt dock connected to my MacBook Pro, a few accessories and a separate charging station for quickly topping up my phone and iPad. While many Thunderbolt docks include front-facing USB-C ports that can deliver up to 60W of power, they can’t fast-charge Chinese Android phones and other power-hungry devices.

The Baseus Spacemate RD1 Pro aims to combine both products into one. It’s a 15-in-1 USB-C dock with a built-in Qi2.2 wireless charger, promising to reduce desk clutter without sacrificing functionality. But can a single device really do it all?

PamStealer malware poses as a Mac clipboard app — and verifies your password before stealing it

By •

PamStealer macOS malware isn't Maccy
PamStealer disguises itself as Maccy, a popular Mac clipboard manager to trick users into handing over a verified password.
Photo: JAMF Threat Labs/Cult of Mac

The “free” clipboard manager you just downloaded could be doing more than just copying and pasting text. Researchers recently found a new malware called PamStealer disguised as Maccy, a popular clipboard tool, that does something most Mac malware doesn’t bother with — checking your Mac password before sending it off.

The malware hides itself in a lookalike download for Maccy. It doesn’t just grab your password and run — but it checks the password against the same system Apple uses to log you in.

Apple may pull an iPhone X with its first foldable iPhone

By •

Foldable iPhone may not go on sale for a few weeks.
Foldable iPhone may not go on sale for a few weeks after launch.
AI image: ChatGPT

For the first foldable iPhone, Apple might follow the same launch strategy it used for the iPhone X in 2017. While the company will reportedly unveil the device alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup this fall, it may not open preorders or begin sales until later.

That’s according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who shared the latest details about the foldable iPhone’s launch timeline in an X post over the weekend.

Today in Apple history: Apple ships its last Mac with a CRT monitor

By •

Photo of an eMac, the last Apple computer with a CRT monitor, with the letters
This is the day the era of bulky CRT Macs ended forever.
Photo: Evan-Amos/Wikipedia CC/Modified by Cult of Mac

July 5: Today in Apple history: Apple ships its last Mac with a CRT monitor July 5, 2006: Apple discontinues its low-end eMac product line. After more than a quarter-century of using CRT monitors in its computers, the move represents the end of the cathode ray tube era for Macs.

After ending the eMac, Apple shifts to the superior LCD technology still used in Macs today. When it comes to screens, thin is definitely in!

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs visits the Soviet Union

By •

A red flag with a rainbow Apple logo and a golden Soviet hammer and sickle.
Steve Jobs' one and only trip to the Soviet Union yielded lots of intrigue.
Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

July 4: Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs visits the Soviet Union July 4, 1985: Apple co-founder Steve Jobs visits Moscow for the first time, with the aim of selling Macs to the Russians. During his two-day trip to the Soviet Union, Jobs lectures computer science students, attends a Fourth of July party at the American embassy and discusses opening a Mac factory in Russia.

He also reportedly almost runs afoul of the KGB by praising assassinated Marxist revolutionary Leon Trotsky.

Your iPhone will soon call your scammer’s bluff — here’s how

By •

A picture of the iPhone used in a story about iOS 27's new Trust Insight features.
iOS 27's Trust Insights feature can flag suspicious activity before you fall for a scam.
Photo: Unsplash

Scammers are tricky, but your iPhone will soon get a lot less gullible, thanks to a new iOS 27 feature called Trust Insights. It watches for the tell-tale signs you’re being coached through a scam — and steps in before you actually lose money.

The system runs quietly in the background regardless of what you are doing on your iPhone. If it thinks your behavior looks suspicious, your iPhone will flag it, slow you down, or make you verify twice before you go through with it.

While Trust Insights didn’t get a flashy keynote moment during WWDC26 in June, it will be one of the most useful things Apple ships this fall.

You can get a year of Bitdefender antivirus for less than $20

By •

Bitdefender on the screen of a laptop of a person working on the couch
Get this Bitdefender Antivirus Plus deal and protect your Windows PC for a year—now on sale!
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Right now, a Bitdefender antivirus one-year subscription for PC is on sale for only $20.

Most Apple households have at least one Windows machine kicking around. Maybe it’s a kid’s school-issued laptop, a partner’s work computer or that aging gaming rig in the closet. Whatever the case, it needs proper antivirus protection, and a 1-year Bitdefender Antivirus Plus subscription for one Windows PC can get the job done. It’s only $19.99 (regularly $49.99).

How to take fabulous fireworks photos with your iPhone

By •

These tips will help you take better fireworks photos.
These tips will help you take better fireworks photos.
Photo: Richard Dongses/Flickr CC

With a little know-how, you can photograph fireworks with an iPhone and achieve great results. But just pointing and shooting with no prior planning can lead to blurry, unexciting fireworks photos.

For instance, does this sound familiar? Last year’s fireworks made you say ooh and ahh, but when you look at your iPhone photos from that night, the sound you make is more of an ugh. Don’t blame Siri or some engineer in Cupertino for previous photo fails. The iPhone camera, as mighty as it is, can’t do all the thinking for you — especially in challenging lighting conditions like a fireworks display.

But with a little thought and preparation, you can make this holiday worth reliving on your iPhone camera roll. Below are some simple tips to make your iPhone fireworks photos sizzle.

Today in Apple history: End of the line for Power Mac G4 Cube

By •

Power Mac G4 Cube in all its glory
Apple put the Power Mac G4 Cube "on ice" in 2001 after disappointing sales.
Photo: Apple

July 3: Today in Apple history: Apple stops making Power Mac G4 Cube July 3, 2001: Apple suspends production of its Power Mac G4 Cube, one of the most notable busts in Apple history — and the first major flop following Steve Jobs’ glorious return to the company in 1997.

Although Apple leaves the door open to possibly reintroducing the remarkably clear G4 Cube at a later date, this never happens. The stylish computer is superseded by Apple’s upgrade to G5 processors and then to Intel Core-based Macs.

Apple’s defense in AI lawsuit: Those YouTube videos were public all along

By •

A picture of YouTube used in a story about three youtubers filing lawsuit against Apple.
Apple is asking a judge to dismiss the YouTube lawsuit, arguing the videos were never locked down in the first place.
Photo: Unsplash

Apple just responsded to three YouTube channels that filed a lawsuit against the company earlier this year over AI training data — and Cupertino isn’t apologizing. In short, its defense is that these creators uploaded the videos online for free, so they shouldn’t be shocked that Apple looked at them.

Even if you haven’t uploaded a video in your life, here’s why you should care. This lawsuit is about how AI features baked into your iPhone actually got smart, and whether the people who made it possible got anything for it.

5 ways the Camera in iOS 27 is more refined than ever

By •

Camera app graphic
The Camera is one of the iPhone’s most essential apps.
Image: Apple/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

The Camera app in iOS 27 is chock-full of small but meaningful improvements. The UI was given a major simplification last year; this year, that design is iterated and refined upon to make it the best yet.

This is one of the changes I’ve really grown to appreciate since installing the developer betas. Check it out below.

Best Pro Display XDR setups: Apple’s most magnificent monitor in the wild

By •

Liam Hudson setup with 3 Pro Displays XDR
A 2019 Mac Pro is the core of this three-Pro Display XDR computer setup, along with a 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook (not pictured).
Photo: Liam Hudson

The Apple Pro Display XDR is, by almost any measure, the most spectacular external monitor ever made for a Mac. Launched in 2019 at a price that shocked even committed Apple fans — $4,999 for the standard glass version, $5,999 for nano-texture, plus $999 for the Pro Stand — it takes your breath away for several reasons. A dozen great workstations below are the best Pro Display XDR setups in Cult of Mac‘s archive.

Apple may have hit pause on its most ambitious AirPods Pro upgrade

By •

AirPods Pro 4 are not coming anytime soon.
AirPods Pro 4 are not coming anytime soon.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Apple’s next AirPods Pro were rumored to gain built-in cameras, marking one of the biggest upgrades in the earbuds’ history — large enough that  the product may be dubbed AirPods Ultra instead. However, Apple is reportedly shelving those plans for now.

A reliable leaker now claims Apple “suspended” the project. But it’s unclear whether the company canceled the feature or simply delayed it.

Apple’s foldable iPhone orders reportedly jump to 10 million units

By •

A concept image of the foldable iPhone used in a story about the upcoming device.
Apple's foldable iPhone is reportedly expected to debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro this September.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple could be telling its suppliers to build more foldable iPhones than anyone expected. The company has reportedly raised its 2026 prediction target for the much-rumored iPhone Ultra to around 10 million units. This is a significant jump from the previous 7-to-8-million estimation.

That’s a huge vote of confidence from Apple and good news for anyone hoping to get their hands on one. A bigger build target usually means fewer launch-day sellouts and a better shot at your preferred color and storage.

iOS 27 just broke your oldest iPhone habit

By •

A photo of Siri AI running on iOS 27 in a story about Siri AI gesture.
Swipe down from the top-left corner now, not the center, to reach Notification Center in iOS 27.
Photo: Apple

Apple just rewired a gesture you’ve used every day since 2011, and you probably won’t notice it until it’s too late. iOS 27 hands to the new Siri AI the exact swipe you’ve used to check notifications, and it doesn’t even ask nicely first.

Turn on Siri AI in the latest iOS 27 beta, and swiping down from the top center of your screen will no longer open the Notification Center but wake up Siri instead. Your alerts aren’t going anywhere, but you’ll need to relearn where to find them.

Today in Apple history: Apple admits Antennagate is a thing

By •

Steve Jobs stands onstage with the word
"Antennagate" was a major controversy in Apple history.
Photo: Apple

July 2: Today in Apple history: Apple addresses Antennagate and iPhone 4 reception problems July 2, 2010: Apple opens up about “Antennagate,” issuing a letter that addresses iPhone 4 reception problems publicly for the first time.

In a letter addressed to iPhone 4 users, Apple admits to being “surprised when we read reports of reception problems, and … immediately began investigating them.” However, the company’s findings do little to dispel the growing Antennagate controversy.

Why next-gen iPad Pro could skip Apple’s M6 chip, go straight to M7

By •

Why the 2027 iPad Pro might skip to the M7
There might never be an M6 iPad Pro.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Newly leaked timing of Apple’s next iPad Pro refresh suggests that the premium tablet may jump straight to the M7 processor and skip the M6 generation altogether.

Note that this is a combination of rumor and speculation. A leak on Wednesday only says that the next iPad Pro is a year away with “faster chips.” But going with the M7 processor makes sense, given the timing annd Apple’s previous practices.