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Today in Apple history: World’s first iPad newspaper starts to crumble

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The Daily iPad newspaper was a great, but ultimately failed, experiment.
The Daily was a great, but ultimately failed, experiment.
Photo: The Daily

July 31: Today in Apple history: The Daily, the world's first iPad newspaper, starts to crumble July 31, 2012: The Daily, the world’s first iPad-only newspaper, lays off almost a third of its staff, signaling the demise of a bold publishing experiment.

The deep cuts — The Daily fires 50 of its 170 employees — affect mainly sports and editorial page staffers, although some production and design employees get the ax, too. The ominous move comes as News Corp places the iPad app “on watch” due to disappointing readership numbers.

Dropbox says goodbye to its password manager

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Dropbox gets new password manager
Dropbox Passwords users, it's time to abandon ship.
Photo: Dropbox

Dropbox will shut down its password manager, Dropbox Passwords, in late October. However, it will begin winding down support well before then.

Dropbox says it is doing this to focus on its core product: cloud storage service. To reduce inconvenience to its users, the company will discontinue the service in a phased manner.

Despite tariffs, Wall Street bullish on Apple

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Apple financial results expectations: Bullish
It seems a bit surprising, but analysts think Apple is about to deliver some positive financial news.
AI image: Google Gemini/Cult of Mac

When Apple reveals the financial details of the spring 2025 quarter, Wall Street analysts expect solid, if not spectacular, growth from the Mac maker.

It’s not what some analysts feared would happen earlier this year, especially after a warning from Apple CEO Tim Cook in the spring that tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on iPhones and Macs produced in Asia and then imported into the United States would cost the company about a billion dollars during the April-through-June quarter.

Today in Apple history: Apple launches ill-fated Lisa project

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Take a sneak peek at upcoming Apple Lisa documentary
The Lisa became one of Apple's first flops.
Photo: Auction Team Breker

July 30, 1979: Today in Apple history: Apple launches ill-fated Lisa computer project July 30, 1979: Apple engineers begin work on the Lisa computer, the company’s first machine to come with a graphical user interface and mouse.

Incorporating technology Steve Jobs saw at Xerox PARC, the Lisa looks like a surefire hit for Apple. Things don’t turn out exactly like that, however.

How much is too much screen space? This, maybe. [Setups]

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4 display setup
A 4-display setup is one thing. But in this rig, the monitors are massive.
Photo: [email protected]

Today’s featured Mac Studio setup may win the external display arms race — for bigger monitors and for more of them. A 4-display setup displayed on social media is not super rare, but one sporting such large screens is. This one pushes the limit of too much screen space with two stacked 57-inch curved ultra-wide Samsung displays bookended by two 32-inch Samsungs in portrait (vertical) orientation. Yikes, that’s a lot of screen.

3-in-1 charger keeps all your gear going for a very low price [Review] ★★★★

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Lululook Ultra-Nano Qi2 3-in-1 Travel Charger review★★★★
A new travel charger from Lululook works well and is very affordable.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A couple of things immediately catch the eye about the Ultra-Nano Qi2 3-in-1 Travel Charger. One, you can make it into a convenient stand or lay it out flat when charging your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. And the second? Wow, this thing is a deal.

I tried it out with all my Apple devices. There are a lot of features to like here, but also a quirk in the design that Apple Watch wearers need to know about.

Catch US vs. Mexico Leagues Cup soccer action via MLS Season Pass

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Leagues Cup on MLS Season Pass
Fans in more than 100 countries and regions can watch every match of the Leagues Cup 2025 tournament via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Photo: Apple

Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass will once again serve as the exclusive global streaming destination for the Leagues Cup, North America’s premier cross-league soccer tournament that kicked off Tuesday and runs through August.

The monthlong competition brings together clubs from Major League Soccer and Mexico’s Liga MX in what organizers call the first in-season club tournament across all men’s professional sports in North America.

Apple AI brain drain continues as a fourth researcher joins Meta

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Meta logo
Apple loses is fourth AI expert in only a few weeks.
Photo: Meta

Apple faces big challenges in its artificial intelligence efforts as another key researcher leaves the company to join Meta’s ambitious superintelligence project, according to a new report Tuesday. The departure marks the fourth AI expert to leave Apple’s foundation models team in just one month, raising questions about the future of Apple Intelligence and the company’s AI strategy.

Launch day: iOS 18.6 and macOS Sequoia 15.6 now ready to be installed

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iOS 18.6
iOS 18.6 is here! And so are macOS Sequoia 15.6 plus more.
Image: Cult of Mac

Apple introduced iOS 18.6 and macOS Sequoia 15.6 on Tuesday with the goal of clearing out bugs. iPadOS 18.6, watchOS 11.6, tvOS 18.6 and visionOS 2.6 are also available.

While these patches are about fixing problems rather than adding features, they are still very much worth installing.

Today in Apple history: Mac Centris 660av is an audiovisual masterpiece

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The Macintosh Centris 660av was astonishingly ahead of most rival computers at the time.
The Macintosh Centris 660av was astonishingly ahead of most rival computers at the time.
Image: Apple

July 29: Today in Apple history: Mac Centris 660av is an audio-visual masterpiece July 29, 1993: Apple releases the Macintosh Centris 660av, a computer packed with innovative audiovisual features. These include an AppleVision monitor with microphone and speakers, and a port that can work as a modem with a telecom adapter. It also comes with PlainTalk, the first Apple software to recognize and synthesize speech.

At the relatively low price of $2,489, this was one of the first great affordable multimedia Macs.

Politicians freak out about iOS 26 anti-spam protections

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iOS 26 anti-spam protections block political texts
iOS 26 treats political fundraising texts like any other messages from unknown senders.
Image: Cult of Mac

An iOS 26 anti-spam feature intended to protect iPhone users from junk texts is causing a furor among politicians. They point out that political fundraising texts automatically go into a folder where the user might not see them.

“That change has profound implications for our ability to fundraise, mobilize voters, and run digital campaigns,” reads a memo sent by the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Crank up Safari’s privacy to the max

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Mind Your Own Business
Keep your browsing private.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple’s Safari web browser packs loads of privacy features that will keep your online activity hidden from ad networks, user tracking and data farms. But are you sure you have everything turned on? Some of Apple’s most important privacy-protecting features don’t come enabled by default.

In light of Google baking ever-more invasive user tracking into Chrome, there are even more reasons to use Safari instead. If you want to make the most out of the best and most secure mainstream browser, here’s how.

Apple opening manufacturing academy in Detroit to boost US innovation

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Apple Manufacturing Academy opening in Detroit
The Apple Manufacturing Academy in Detroit will offer free programming to train and support American businesses, innovators, and manufacturers. It opens August 19.
Photo: Apple

Apple launches its new Manufacturing Academy in Detroit on August 19, offering free training programs designed to help American businesses adopt advanced manufacturing techniques, the iPhone giant said Tuesday.

“Apple works with suppliers in all 50 states because we know advanced manufacturing is vital to American innovation and leadership,” said Sabih Khan, Apple’s chief operating officer. “With this new programming, we’re thrilled to help even more businesses implement smart manufacturing so they can unlock amazing opportunities for their companies and our country.”

Find audio bliss with 2025’s best noise-canceling headphones

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Graphic to illustrate roundup of the best noise canceling headphones and earbuds.
When both silence and music are bliss, make sure you pick the ideal noise canceling headphones or earbuds.
Photo: Grok Aurora AI

Whether you’re navigating a noisy commute, seeking focus in a bustling office, trying to unwind during air travel or simply blissing out to your favorite tunes, the right pair of noise-canceling headphones can transform your audio experience. These sophisticated devices do more than just play music — they create a mobile personal sanctuary.

Active noise cancellation (ANC) technology has evolved dramatically in recent years, with options ranging from premium over-ear headphones to compact wireless earbuds. The best models excel not just at blocking out unwanted noise, but also deliver exceptional sound quality, comfortable fit and long battery life.

Our comprehensive guide discusses key factors like a model’s noise-reduction capabilities, audio performance, comfort during extended wear and additional features that enhance the user experience. Find help navigating the options to find your perfect audio companion below.

iPhone sales tumble in the US as Samsung grows

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Desert and Black Titanium iPhone 16 Pro laying on top of each other
Desert Titanium and Black Titanium.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

iPhone shipments in the US declined by a whopping 11% to 13.3 million units. This is despite the market itself growing by a modest 1% annually.

Samsung made the most of the slowdown in iPhone sales, with its shipments growing by 38% YoY.

Masked iPhone 17 Pro prototype spotted in the wild

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iPhone 17 Pro rumors
Did someone just spot an iPhone 17 Pro test unit?
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

An alleged iPhone 17 Pro prototype may have just made its first real-world appearance. Blurry images shared online show what looks like a masked iPhone — one that closely matches the design rumors for the iPhone 17 Pro.

While the authenticity is hard to verify, the timing and details point to this possibly being a late prototype unit.

What to expect from For All Mankind season 5 and spinoff Star City

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For All Mankind season 5
Here's some of what you can expect from For All Mankind season 5 and spinoff Star City, according to the shows' co-creators.
Photo: Apple TV+

As For All Mankind prepares to launch into its fifth season, the Apple TV+ alternative-history space drama expands its universe in ambitious new directions. Co-creators Ben Nedivi and Matt Wolpert recently sat down with ScreenRant to discuss what fans can expect from the upcoming season set in 2012 — as well as their highly anticipated Soviet spinoff series Star City.

Today in Apple history: Apple acquires the company behind Touch ID

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Touch ID
Touch ID represented a massive step forward for Apple.
Photo: Apple

July 28: Today in Apple history: Apple acquires AuthenTec, the company behind Touch ID July 28, 2012: Apple buys biometrics company AuthenTec, acquiring the technology that will power Touch ID for authentication and secure payments on the iPhone and other devices.

With a price tag of $356 million, the deal gives Apple the right to use AuthenTec hardware, software and patents. In the short term, Apple engineers start working to build Touch ID sensors into the iPhone 5s. Longer-term, AuthenTec’s mobile wallet tech paves the way for Apple Pay.

Giant smart TV dwarfs 32-inch display in Mac mini rig [Setups]

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Hisense smart TV
A huge smart TV and a complete Audioengine sound system distinguish this M2 Mac mini setup.
Photo: [email protected]

Big smart TVs crop up in computer setups online as external displays with increasing regularity. That includes today’s featured M2 Mac mini rig with a 55-inch Hisense smart TV as well as a 32-inch LG 4K monitor that looks tiny by comparison.

And the setup’s audio is no slouch. It features excellent Audioengine bookshelf speakers, a dedicated digital-to-audio converter (DAC) plus a wireless subwoofer for a big low end. Most setups stop at speakers on the desk.

How I supercharge window management on my Mac

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M4 MacBook Air with lighting icon on screen
Level up your Mac window management like I did.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

As a power user, I find Mac window management clunky and broken when using the options built into macOS. Switching between apps, and snapping apps into desired screen locations, should not be so frustrating.

So, I took matters into my own hands — streamlining how I snap, switch and manage windows to finally make macOS work for me, not against me.

iPhone 17 Pro camera could blow away expectations with 8x lens

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iPhone 17 and 17 Air may lack ProMotion display features
8x optical shooter with a moving lens on iPhone 17 Pro — Too good to be true?
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Pro may pack bigger camera changes than initially rumored. It could sport a higher resolution 8x zoom camera, a new pro camera app with advanced manual controls, and another Camera Control button on the phone’s top edge.

The information comes from a tipster working for a company producing an iPhone 17 Pro commercial.

Today in Apple history: Mac marketing guru Joanna Hoffman is born

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Kate Winslet (left) plays Joanna Hoffman (right) in Steve Jobs.
Kate Winslet (left) played Mac marketing guru Joanna Hoffman in Danny Boyle's Steve Jobs biopic.
Photos: Kate Winslet/Apple

July 27: Today in Apple history: Mac marketing guru Joanna Hoffman birthday July 27, 1955: Joanna Hoffman, who will join the original Macintosh and NeXT teams and become Steve Jobs’ first right-hand woman, is born in Poland.

Six months younger than Jobs, the marketing executive is one of the few people willing and able to stand up to the oftentimes-fierce Apple co-founder during the first part of his career.

3 reasons to watch Stick on Apple TV+ (and not as a Ted Lasso clone)

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Apple TV+ Stick review: 3 reasons to watch
"Stick" is the nickname pro golfers give the greats -- sometimes before they flame out, like Owen Wilson's character.
Photo: Apple TV+

Popular Apple TV+ sports comedy Stick just completed its first season and got its green light for season two. So while comparisons to feel-good soccer phenom Ted Lasso seem inevitable, this Owen Wilson-led golf series carves out its own distinctive identity.

Rather than trying to replicate the wholesome optimism and wildly unbelievable story that made Ted Lasso a cultural phenomenon, Stick takes viewers slightly further into somewhat darker territory and into a slightly more believable story with suburban grift, sardonic humor and complex characters navigating grief and redemption.

Hey, I said somewhat darker, slightly further and slightly more believable, OK?

In a nutshell, Stick, like Lasso, is danged wholesome and all about redemption. And both series are feel-good shows people want to watch right now, given the societal circumstances. But for my Apple TV+ Stick review, here are three compelling reasons why Stick deserves your attention, regardless of how you feel about its more famous predecessor.