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.

July 26, 2005: Apple debuts the opaque white iBook G4, the last of its laptops to launch under the iBook name.

The portable computer adds Apple’s scrolling trackpad for the first time. It also incorporates Bluetooth 2.0 as a standard feature, and becomes the last Apple laptop with a PowerPC chip.

Apple is gearing up for a blockbuster year, with a packed product roadmap that spans nearly every category in its lineup. From an iPhone redesign to upgrades for the Mac, iPad and Apple Watch families, the next twelve months promise a steady stream of hardware refreshes, software milestones and perhaps a few surprises.

Whether you’re a casual user or a die-hard fan, here’s a look at every major Apple product expected between now and next summer.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Leander and Griffin are joined by Graham again to talk about the folding iPhone, the biggest little change coming to the M5 iPad Pro, more changes in iOS 26, tips for running with your Apple Watch and why we all lust for a colorful iPhone!

Though relatively high costs is a perennial complaint about Apple’s popular Studio Display, the 5K resolution monitor with a fair number of bells and whistles continues to gain fans willing to pay. Today’s setup belongs to a gamer with a MacBook Pro and a gaming PC, plus a Studio Display and a 240Hz OLED monitor.

He said if the house caught fire and he could only choose one display to save, it’d be Apple’s.

Blender, one of the best 3D creation tools, is getting ported to iPad. And it won’t be some dumbed-down “lite” version, but a full version of the application.

It’s coming to others tablets too, but iPad Pro will be first.

July 25, 1989: Apple suffers a major setback in its copyright-infringement lawsuit against Microsoft for allegedly stealing the Mac’s “look and feel” to create Windows.

Apple sued Microsoft on 189 counts of copyright infringement relating to Windows 2.0.3. The judge overseeing the case throws out 179 of them. This paves the way for Microsoft’s dominance over Apple in the coming decade.

You can download the watchOS 26 public beta right now. With it, you can try out the great new Liquid Glass design coming to the Apple Watch before Apple ships the update to everyone. And you can check out Workout Buddy, the AI-powered coach that gives you encouragement during your workouts.

Of course, there are a few things you should look out for. Beta software is buggy and can lead to data loss or apps that don’t work. This particular beta is a rough one, with lots of broken animations and features. A lot of apps you use probably won’t work correctly. I strongly recommend that you at least wait for the public beta — it’ll be available starting in July.

If you’re still sure you want to try it out, you’ll need to install iOS 26 on your iPhone first. I’ll show you how.

You can download the macOS 26 Tahoe public beta right now. You can get a look at the exciting new design coming to the Mac before the update is shipped to everyone. And you can try out the new super-charged Spotlight.

Of course, there are a few things you should look out for. Beta software is buggy and can lead to data loss or apps that don’t work. This particular beta is a rough one, with lots of broken animations and features. A lot of apps you use probably won’t work correctly. You’ve been warned.

If you’re still sure you want to try it out, you should make sure you have a backup of your most important data with two copies of your photo library before you try installing. I’ll show you how.

Acapulco returned to Apple TV+ on Wednesday for its fourth and final season. While bilingual shows often struggle on American TV, this comedy earned high praise from critics.

With Apple more willing to cancel underperforming series, keeping Acapulco going for this long means it must have found an audience. It certainly earns top ratings from viewers.

July 24, 2006: The world gets its first glimpse of Apple’s new wireless Mighty Mouse, a multibutton Bluetooth device with super-accurate laser tracking.

Photos of the accessory come to light through an Apple filing with the Federal Communications Commission. Apple will launch the device the very next day.

Anyone interested can download the iOS 26 public beta for free — right now. You can get a look at the exciting new Liquid Glass design coming to the iPhone before the update is shipped to everyone. The iOS 26 public beta also comes with a new Camera and Phone app, new Apple Intelligence features, 3D photos and more.

Of course, there are a few things you should look out for. Beta software is buggy and can lead to data loss or apps that don’t work. Battery life will suffer and your phone will often get hot. You have been warned.

If you want to try it out, you should make sure you have a backup of your most important data with two copies of your photo library before you try installing. I’ll show you how.

Apple’s newest retail destination opens its doors to customers Saturday in the heart of Osaka, Japan. That’s two decades after its first store opened in the city, located in Japan’s Kansai region. The new Apple Umeda store promises to deliver the full Apple experience to one of the country’s most vibrant commercial districts. It includes an exclusive Vision Pro demo area and a Today at Apple session on Apple Intelligence.

“I am very pleased to open Apple Umeda, a wonderful space that reflects the energy of the vibrant city of Osaka,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Retail and Human Resources. “This new store is a place to walk with creative communities and local businesses in Kansai.”

Consumers stay away from foldable handsets in droves, and a new survey found that a majority of Americans are not interested in one. So it might seem surprising that Apple reportedly plans a folding iPhone for 2026. But it’s typical of Apple.

Apple doesn’t make what you think you want. It never has. It makes what you don’t yet realize you want, and it’s been fantastically successful at it for decades.

CarPlay Ultra’s adoption keeps hitting one roadblock after another. German automaker BMW has decided against integrating CarPlay Ultra into its vehicles.

Instead, BMW will focus on bringing its revamped iDrive experience to its future vehicles.

Wireless charging just got faster. A new version of the Qi standard brings power transfers up to 25 watts — it’s dubbed Qi2 25W (logically enough).

Over a dozen devices already support it, including recent iPhones. And the Wireless Power Consortium once again teased that Android handset makers would adopt the new standard… finally.

Today’s featured setup user seeks out and gets good advice on his upgrade questions. He runs an aging MacBook Pro and a more recent iMac, but wonders about replacing them both with a newer MacBook Pro, perhaps an M4 Pro model. Commenters on his post offered useful thoughts, below, on future-proofing choices of Mac models as well as external display options.

Swiss robotics engineer Ken Pillonel just developed a commercial solution for iPhone users with Lightning connectors who want fully functional USB-C connectivity without upgrading their devices. The new case gives Lightning iPhones a USB-C port.

Known for his viral 2021 project that added USB-C to an iPhone X through hardware modification, Pillonel has now created a snap-on case that brings the modern port to any Lightning-equipped iPhone. You can watch his video below.

Apple users in the UK could see significant changes to how they download apps, browse the web and make payments on their devices following new regulatory proposals announced Wednesday by Britain’s competition watchdog.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) proposed designating both Apple and Google with “strategic market status” under new digital competition laws. That gives regulators unprecedented power to force changes to how the tech giants operate their mobile platforms.

“The targeted and proportionate actions we have set out today would enable UK app developers to remain at the forefront of global innovation while ensuring UK consumers receive a world-class experience,” CMA head Sarah Cardell said.

Like Apple One, Apple on Wednesday introduced a new AppleCare bundle for protecting multiple Apple devices. Dubbed AppleCare One, it extends the warranty and provides accidental damage protection to three Apple devices.

Pricing starts from $19.99 per month, with an option to add more devices by paying an additional $5.99 per device every month.

Apple’s first folding iPhone may sport a display smaller than Samsung’s recently unveiled Galaxy Z Fold 7. It will supposedly pack a 5.5-inch cover display and a 7.8-inch internal screen — both smaller than the Z Fold 7.

Other book-style foldables from Chinese companies also pack larger outer and inner displays.

Apple appears set to dodge potentially devastating daily fines from European Union regulators, according to a new report Tuesday. Sources indicate the company’s revised App Store policies will likely receive approval in the coming weeks.

July 22, 1997: Apple launches Mac OS 8, its next-gen operating system for Macintosh computers. The OS introduces a new three-dimensional look and makes surfing the internet easier than ever.

The first major operating system refresh for Macs since System 7’s release in 1991, it gets great reviews and is destined to become a big hit with users. However, it arrives at a very challenging time for Apple.

The Twelve South PowerBug is a new palm-size accessory that does two useful jobs. It’s both an iPhone stand and a plug-in wall charger. It uses MagSafe magnets to hold onto the handset, whether you’re using it to watch video or to juice up the iPhone’s battery.

It works wirelessly, plus there’s a USB-C port for powering a second device.

PowerBug just launched today, but I got some hands-on testing time before the debut. Here’s what I found.

Apple expanded its retail presence to Saudi Arabia with the launch of the Apple Store online and Apple Store app, marking the first time the company has offered direct support in Arabic, the iPhone giant said Tuesday. The move is a significant milestone for Apple users in the Kingdom, who can now access the full range of Apple products and services with localized support from Apple’s team.

“We are thrilled to bring the Apple Store online and the Apple Store app to Saudi Arabia, offering customers a new way to explore and shop Apple’s extraordinary lineup of products and services,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail and People. “Our customers in Saudi Arabia are passionate about the things they can do with technology, and our teams can’t wait to connect with customers and help them discover how Apple innovations can meaningfully enrich their daily lives.”