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Price cut: Host unlimited websites for life for just $119.97

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Illustration of a person working at a web host, used to illustrate a deal on Hostdeal Unlimited Plan web hosting
Host as many websites as you like — forever! — for one low price with this unlimited deal.
Image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

When it comes to affordable website hosting, how much is enough? This discounted Hostdeal Unlimited Plan lets you host unlimited websites, with unlimited NVMe SSD storage and 54 free domains for life. And for a limited time, you can score this killer website hosting deal for just $119.97 (regularly $1,800).

Why next entry-level iPad might be worth the wait

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A picture showing the Apple iPad used in a story about next entry-level iPad reportedly launching next year.
The next entry-level iPad reportedly won’t land until early 2027.
Photo: Apple

Anyone hoping for an updated entry-level iPad that can handle Apple Intelligence should prepare for a bit of a wait.

Despite a flurry of new Apple products coming this month, the updated tablets reportedly won’t arrive until next year. But when they do, they should bring support for Apple’s latest AI features.

Apple HomeView smart home hub rumors: What we know [Updated]

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Apple HomeView smart home hub rumors
The Apple HomeView smart home hub is almost here!
Concept art: Cult of Mac

Update: The time for leaks and rumors is over — Apple’s smart home hub is now official. Read more:

Apple wants HomeView at the heart of your smart home


Apple appears ready to make a serious push into the smart home market with a new screen-equipped hub dubbed HomeView. It’s reportedly coming at a product launch event on October 13.

The device is for those who want to put the new Siri AI at the center of their home, as well as those who are serious about Apple’s HomeKit smart home accessories. Or both.

Here’s everything we know about Apple’s smart home hub in the days before it is expected to launch.

Apple’s Huxe deal could pave the way for AI-generated podcasts

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A picture of podcast about Apple dealing with Huxe, an AI-generated podcast app.
The Apple Huxe deal gives Apple access to Huxe’s AI podcast tech.
Photo: Pixabay

Apple signed a deal with Huxe, an AI-powered podcast generator, giving it the right to hire staff and license its technology.

The move signals Apple’s bigger AI audio plans for Apple Podcasts. But Apple isn’t buying Huxe outright, though the startup’s application is already gone.

OLED iPad mini could get a not-so-mini price hike

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OLED iPad mini rumors: Coming soon
OLED iPad mini will cost you a lot of money.
Concept: Cult of Mac

Apple’s upcoming OLED iPad Mini will carry a significantly higher price tag than its existing $599 MSRP. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman believes the company will sell the tablet for as much as $799. 

That would make Apple’s smallest iPad more expensive than the M4 iPad Air, which starts at $749.

Ends soon: Get 3 years of piano lessons on your iPhone, iPad or Mac for just $51

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Person learning piano through the Flowkey piano lessons app opened on an iPad and sitting on a console piano.
Whether you're a total beginner or an accomplished piano player, this app can teach you a thing or two.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

You can turn your iPhone, iPad or Mac into a piano teacher with Flowkey’s interactive lessons, real-time feedback and song-first approach to learning.

Flowkey is designed to meet you where you are, whether you’ve never touched a keyboard or you already know your way around one. And it costs just $50.99 for three years. A flesh-and-blood piano teacher might charge that much for a single lesson!

Last-minute details about HomeView, Apple’s smart home hub

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Apple ‘Welcome Home’ event invitation on October 13
At last, we have a name for Apple's home hub.
Image: Apple

Update: The time for leaks and rumors is over — Apple’s smart home hub is now official. Read more:

Apple wants HomeView at the heart of your smart home


Apple will reportedly call its upcoming smart home hub the HomeView. Powered by an A18 chip, the display will focus on Siri and smart home control. It will also lack an App Store.

As previously reported, the HomeView will come in two versions: a countertop model with a metal speaker base and a wall-mounted model with a flat, square base.

7 useful Siri AI features to try on your iPhone, iPad or Mac

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Siri AI finally feels useful beyond the basics.
Siri AI finally feels useful beyond the basics.
Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

More than 15 years after its debut, Siri finally feels useful beyond the basics. While iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 pack plenty of notable upgrades, Siri AI is easily the highlight. It can find buried information, understand what’s onscreen and get things done across apps.

From comparing PDFs to organizing travel bookings, here are some practical ways to put Siri AI to work on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Apple’s home invasion! [Cult of Mac podcast 36]

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Still from Apple's
Apple's got big plans for your smart home.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: Apple’s about to make a big push into the smart home arena. We already knew about the impending launch of an intriguing new smart home hub, but the revelation that Apple is working with at least two other companies to produce new devices takes things to a whole new level.

The big question remains: How will Apple differentiate its smart home platform from everything else on the market? There’s plenty to discuss.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

  • Apple will unveil that smart home hub next Tuesday at a special “Apple Experience” for a small group of media and influencers. That likely means no traditional streaming keynote of Apple’s “Welcome Home” event.
  • The rumor mill already gave us a pretty thorough idea of what to expect from Apple’s about-to-launch home hub. It sounds like a nice enough device, but software special sauce might make it super-compelling.
  • While probably not coming next week, Apple’s also reportedly working on smart cameras you can put in your home. The catch is that they won’t record actual video. Instead, they’ll just gather data for Siri AI to use. Kind of a weird concept … we discuss the pros and cons.
  • The first touchscreen MacBook Pro is also rumored to arrive this month. Maybe we should call this wacky month of product launches “Oktoberbest.”

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast in Apple’s Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. Or watch the video version, embedded below. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!)

Today in Apple history: The elusive Macintosh Color Classic II ships

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The Macintosh Color Classic II never shipped in the U.S., which makes it hard to find today.
The Color Classic II never shipped in the U.S., which makes it hard to find today.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

October 10: Today in Apple history: The elusive Macintosh Color Classic II ships October 10, 1993: Apple ships its Macintosh Color Classic II, the last of the 9-inch compact Macs.

Also known as the Performa 275, the Color Classic II will eventually become something of a collector’s item, since Apple released it only in Canada, Asia and Europe.

I tried a book summary app and was surprised by how much I learned [Review]

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Photo of the Headway book summaries app opened on a phone, used to illustrate a Headway review
You don't need to plow through a 300-page book to grasp its key concepts.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

By Jessica Kanzler, Cult of Mac Deals

Headway is a fun app that pulls insights from more than 2,000 popular nonfiction books and condenses them into brief summaries with all the key insights. It turns them into audio and text, so you can listen or read to absorb big ideas in just 15 minutes.

I reviewed the app, which is currently on sale at Cult of Mac Deals, and found it surprisingly helpful for burning through my to-read list. And a lifetime subscription to Headway Premium is currently on sale for just $49.97 (regularly $299.95) with code SAVE20.

The iPhone Duo will say hello like no other iPhone

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A picture of the iPhone Duo used in a story about Edge Light feature potentially coming to the phone with iOS 27.
Apple's first foldable will greet you like never before.
Photo: Apple

If you purchase the iPhone Duo from the Apple Store, Apple will have a little surprise for you. Apparently, Apple retail stores can customize the foldable’s boot screen with the buyer’s name. 

So instead of just a “Hello,” users will see a “Hello, [insert name]” when they turn on the device for the first time.

Mac shipments are down, but Windows really tanks

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Apple gains PC market share as rivals struggle
Mac shipments are down, but nothing compared to Lenovo, HP and Dell.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple’s Mac shipments fell in the third quarter, but figures from market research firms show that Apple is weathering a difficult period for computer makers far better than its biggest rivals.

Mac shipments dropped about 11% in the July-through-September period, but that is barely a blip compared to huge declines from Lenovo, HP and Dell. The result is that PC shipments worldwide plunged about 20% year over year.

iOS 27 Safari update reportedly blocks ad vendors by mistake

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A Safari icon used in a story about Apple blocking some ads in Safari on iOS 27.
The iOS 27 Safari ad block has left The Trade Desk unable to serve ads in Safari on updated iPhones.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple’s aggressive push to stop advertisers from tracking iPhone users is reportedly blocking one of the world’s biggest programmatic advertising platforms from displaying any ads in Safari on iOS 27.

Ad-buying platform The Trade Desk thinks its ads are being blocked by mistake and has asked Apple to rectify the situation. The Trade Desk and others could simply be caught in the crossfire as Apple continues to crack down on advertising vendors that try to track users across websites. Either way, it shows how much control Apple has over the ads on your iPhone.

Today in Apple history: The Beatles beat Apple in court … again

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Image of a green apple with The Beatles logo superimposed upon it, with a black background
Apple battling The Beatles is one of the less-likely feuds in Apple history.
Image: Apple Corps.

October 9: Today in Apple history: The Beatles beat Apple in court October 9, 1991: A court orders Apple to pay $26.5 million to Apple Corps, The Beatles’ record label and holding company, for trademark infringement. The end of this Beatles versus Apple lawsuit marks the second time Cupertino is forced to pay the English rock band.

The ruling comes a decade after Apple swore it would never get into the music business.

Score a lifetime license to PDF Expert for Mac

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Photo of a person using PDF editor PDF Expert, an Apple Editor's Choice winner, on a MacBook.
Get PDF Expert, an Apple Editor's Choice winner, at an amazing price.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

PDFs are arguably one of the most-used document formats by professionals, students and casual users alike. However, while they might be the best way to transmit documents, they’re not entirely easy to work with unless you own a capable PDF editor for Mac like PDF Expert.

Fortunately, this award-winning app makes handling, organizing, annotating, merging and editing PDFs effortless. And you can get a lifetime license to PDF Expert for just $69.97 (regularly $139.99).

Everything we expect from Apple’s Mac and iPad event on October 27

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John Ternus shows off new Macs at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in 2023
This won't be John Ternus' first time showing off new Macs, but one new model in particular might be the most exciting in years.
Photo: Apple

Apple reportedly has a second major product launch event planned for this month, and this time the spotlight will be on the Mac lineup. The star of the show, supposedly set for October 27, will be the first-ever MacBook Pro with a touchscreen. Plus, Macs updated with the latest Apple silicon are expected, and a significantly revamped iPad mini.

Word of this event comes just hours after Apple sent out invitations to a product launch event on October 13. The focus of that one is expected to be smart-home products.

Apple’s smart home plan sounds bigger and bolder than you might think

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Image of LG Electronics smart deadbolt lock setup from iOS 27.2 beta
A leaker found this image of the LG Electronics smart lock setup routine in Apple's code.
Image: Apple

The new smart home products produced by LG Electronics in partnership with Apple will feature a “tap to set up without power” feature, according to a leaker who spotted the reference in iOS 27.

Also, LG Electronics apparently won’t be the only second-party manufacturer Apple works with to create new smart home products. The same leaker says Schneider Electric, a French company with its North American headquarters in Boston, will produce thermostats, temperature/humidity sensors and possibly more.

Apple teases new smart-home products with ‘Welcome Home’ event next week

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Apple ‘Welcome Home’ event invitation on October 13
It's happening! An Apple "Welcome Home" event is less than a week away.
Image: Apple

Apple invited select media and creators to an event in New York on October 13. With “Welcome Home” as the theme, the invitation strongly hints that its long-awaited smart-home push is finally about to begin.

Rather than being held at company headquarters, the event will be in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood. And it’ll start at 6 a.m. PT.

Today in Apple history: Apple’s sapphire dreams shatter

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GT Advanced Technologies sapphire glass
A sapphire glass screen was the most-requested possible feature for iPhone 6.
Photo: GT Advanced Technologies

8 October: Today in Apple history: Apple's sapphire dreams shatter as iPhone 6 sapphire glass screen is a no show October 8, 2014: Apple says it is “surprised” after GT Advanced Technologies, the supplier previously rumored to make ultra-strong sapphire glass displays for the iPhone 6, files for bankruptcy.

The announcement appears to mark the end of the road for sapphire glass iPhone screens, a highly anticipated upgrade that promised to make devices more durable but never arrived.

Price cut: This $20 Mac app cleans up storage, speeds up workflows and unlocks hidden tools

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Image of MacMagic Mac utility running on an iMac
Save big on a lifetime upgrade license to MacMagic, a great app that will fine-tune your Mac.
Image: Cult of Mac Deals

MacMagic is the Swiss Army knife of Mac utilities: It can perform scores of optimization tasks, from clearing gigabytes of storage to batch processing hundreds of files.

For a limited time, you can pick up a MacMagic lifetime upgrades license on sale for just $19.97.

iPhone Air 2 rumored to be as thin as an unfolded iPhone Duo

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A concept picture of the iPhone Air 2 used in a story about the same.
The iPhone Air 2 could be thinner than the original iPhone Air.
Photo: Digital Chat Station/Weibo

The iPhone Air 2 could be thinner than the original iPhone Air, according to a new rumor. And it may even slim down to match the iPhone Duo when unfolded.

That means the Air’s already slim 5.6mm body will be down by 0.4mm. What’s more surprising is that the battery could grow instead of shrink.

WhatsApp Liquid Glass redesign reaches video player in iPhone app

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WhatsApp logo with background used in a story about WhatsApp finally bringing Liquid Glass interface to its built in video player.
WhatsApp Liquid Glass gives the video player a floating, translucent progress bar.
Photo: Pixabay/Cult of Mac

WhatsApp is reportedly preparing to finally bring Liquid Glass to its built-in video player on iPhone. In the latest beta version, the playback progress bar sports a translucent, floating look.

But it’s not in the regular version yet. That makes the video player one of the final screens still waiting for the redesign. Anyone using WhatsApp will easily notice the mismatch every time they open a video.

How to reclaim iPhone storage when iOS takes up tons of space

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Fixing your iPhone's expanding iOS System Data problem
Your iPhone should not have 140GB of System Data. Here's the fix.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

If your iPhone is running short of space, the culprit might be a bug in iOS that causes System Data to grow out of control.

It can be a serious problem. Gigabytes of storage can be choked with useless data, preventing you from using it.

Here’s what to do if your iPhone is running out of space because of an enormous iOS System Data collection. And it doesn’t require deleting your precious photos and apps.