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Score a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 for Mac for just $50

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A lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 for Mac.
Enjoy lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Stuck using an older version of Microsoft Office? This offer gets you a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home and Business 2021 for Mac for just $49.97. With a low one-time payment, you can bid farewell to Microsoft 365’s pesky recurring subscription fees. You’ll never need to pay again for Microsoft’s widely used software for work and school.

And if you need Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows, you can secure a lifetime license for even less: just $34.97.

Put the iPhone down: A Valentine’s Day plea against phubbing

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Put the iPhone down: A Valentine’s Day plea against phubbing
Stop phubbing the person you love!
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Valentine’s Day is supposed to be about connection. But every year, candlelit dinners across the country glow less from romance and more from the light of an iPhone screen. There’s even a word for it: “phubbing” — snubbing someone in favor of your phone.

If there’s one night when iPhone users absolutely must resist the reflex to check notifications or Instagram, it’s February 14.

YouTube finally arrives on Vision Pro (was it worth the wait?)

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YouTube finally arrives on Vision Pro
Vision Pro headset owners can finally watch YouTube content on an official app from Google.
Photo: App Store

After two long years of waiting, Apple Vision Pro owners can finally watch YouTube the way it was meant to be experienced on a spatial computing headset. Google launched its official YouTube app for visionOS on Thursday, ending one of the most conspicuous app absences on Apple’s $3,499 mixed-reality device.

Today in Apple history: Mac mania sweeps magazine racks

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The Macintosh? It'll never catch on!
The Macintosh? It'll never catch on!
Image: Cult of Mac/Ste Smith

February 13: Today in Apple history: Mac mania sweeps magazine racks February 13, 1984: The first Mac’s launch generates enormous excitement from the tech press, as epitomized by an InfoWorld cover story about the Macintosh 128K.

The wave of coverage comes a few weeks after the January 24 release of the Macintosh. But when the press blitz finally arrives, it becomes clear the Mac is a hit.

Apple pushes back on reports of another Siri delay

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AI-generated image of iPhone with Siri activated and the words,
Apple says the new Siri will arrive in 2026.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Amid reports that Apple might further delay the release of its AI-powered Siri, the company says it remains on track to launch the smarter voice assistant this year. That’s the same stance Apple maintained previously.

Multiple rumors suggested Apple would debut the smarter Siri with iOS 26.4 this spring. But a recent report suggests that won’t happen.

Apple’s iPad keyboard case gets compelling new rival

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Brydge Max 11.0 offers premium laptop-like keyboard experience for iPad users
Flexible hinges give the Brydge Max 11.0 a wide range of viewing angles.
Photo: Brydge

The just-announced Brydge Max 11.0 is a premium iPad keyboard case with the potential to dethrone Apple’s own. The two products have much in common, including a cantilever design, but the Brydge version stands out with much wider viewing angles and a gorgeous aluminum exterior.

It fits recent 11-inch iPad Pro models. A version for earlier 11-inch iPads is scheduled for March, as well as one for 13-inch iPads.

Price cut: This private AI assistant runs offline for life

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Image of an iMac running Pansophy private personal AI assistant
Don't send your data to some sketchy AI company's servers. Keep it local with Pansophy.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Pansophy is a secure personal AI assistant that runs on your Mac (or other computer). Once installed, Pansophy acts like a constant companion that can help with writing, coding, research, planning and everyday problem-solving.

You can ask it to draft emails, clean up text, brainstorm marketing ideas, outline projects or walk through tricky concepts. It feels similar to chatting with a cloud-based model, only everything happens on your CPU.  It’s a fully local AI assistant that runs without accounts, subscriptions or cloud processing. And right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to Pansophy for just $59.97 (regularly $199).

How smarter Apple Intelligence could empower Apple Home

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Apple Intelligence could empower Apple Home
Improvements in Apple Intelligence could soon have it anticipating your home-automation needs.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Apple’s smart-home platform has long trailed competitors like Amazon Alexa and Google Home in automation capabilities and intelligent features. But with further development of Apple Intelligence — the company’s suite of AI-powered tools — that gap may finally close, and Apple Intelligence truly could empower Apple Home.

While Apple hasn’t officially announced AI-driven Home automations, the groundwork is clearly being laid for a future where your smart home anticipates your needs rather than simply responding to commands.

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs wins posthumous Grammy

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Photo of Eddy Cue accepting Steve Jobs' posthumous Grammy Award.
Steve Jobs' death caused an outpouring of support.
Photo: Grammys

February 12: Today in Apple history February 12, 2012: Months after his untimely death, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is honored with a Special Merit Grammy Award in recognition of his contributions to the field of music with the iPod and iTunes Music Store.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services, collects the Grammy on behalf of Jobs’ family and “everyone at Apple.”

Apple nabs full rights to Severance, eyes franchise expansion

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Severance franchise expansion
Not only is season three on the way, but now there could be up to five seasons and multiple spinoff series.
Photo: Apple TV

Apple has taken full ownership of its hit workplace drama series Severance, acquiring all intellectual property and rights from production studio Fifth Season in a deal valued at just under $70 million, according to a new report. That makes additional seasons of the fan-favorite show — and spinoff series — more likely. 

5 under-the-radar features that make Apple News+ even better

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Apple News+ Features
Don't let your News+ subscription go to waste.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple News gives you a streamlined way to keep up with current events. It’s a sane, if somewhat generic-looking, way to stay on top of the news that matters to you. If you want more, Apple News+ offers paywall-free access to major publications, local news and magazines. And to sweeten the deal, it has fun daily puzzles, excellent recipes and audio stories.

Admittedly, not a lot of people pay for Apple News+ on its own. It’s hardly a fan favorite. But if you have the Apple One Premier bundle, you can enjoy all of its hidden benefits — here’s how to make the most of it. Keep reading or watch our quick video

Lifetime Mac license for PDF Expert lets you edit, sign and convert like a pro

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Upgrade your Mac's PDF-handling capabilities this Cyber Week for only $70.
Get PDF Expert, an Apple Editor's Choice winner, for less than $80.
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 app makes handling, organizing, annotating, merging and editing PDFs effortless. And you can get a lifetime license to this award-winning Mac app for just $79.99 (regularly $139.99).

That Siri upgrade coming in iOS 26.4? Don’t get your hopes up.

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Don't get your hopes up for AI-enabled Siri in iOS 26.4
The wait for AI-enabled Siri could stretch past iOS 26.4.
Image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

iOS 26.4 could turn out to be a dud. The long-delayed artificial intelligence enhancements for Apple’s Siri digital assistant that had been eagerly expected to launch in the next iPhone software update are reportedly not anywhere close to being ready.

The new capabilities, originally slated for a spring release, are now being spread across multiple future updates as engineers work to resolve persistent technical issues, according to sources familiar with the company’s internal plans.

Update your Mac, iPad and more now to squash bugs

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macOS Tahoe 26.3 release date
You can update you Mac with macOS Tahoe 26.3 to delete bugs.
Photo: Apple/Cult of mac

Apple released macOS Tahoe 26.3, iPadOS 26.3, watchOS 26.3 and tvOS 26.3 on Wednesday, delivering a round of bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements aimed at smoothing out the experience across its devices. While the updates don’t introduce splashy new features, they target stability issues and performance hiccups that have surfaced since the launch of the 26 cycle.

These come at the same time as iOS 26.3, which does include new features along with bug removal. (Read our news article: iOS 26.3 brings these 3 changes to your iPhone.)

iOS 26.3 brings these 2 changes to your iPhone

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Photo of iPhone with iOS 26.3 update screen
Time to update your iPhone!
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

After beta testing iOS 26.3 since mid-December, Apple finally pushed its stable build to the public Wednesday. Unlike the last two major iOS 26 point builds, iOS 26.3 is light on major new features.

Instead, it brings some notable underlying improvements to the platform, including better compatibility with third-party wearables. Here are two notable changes iOS 26.3 brings to your iPhone.

You may not need AppleCare+ in 2026 (unless you own these models)

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Who needs AppleCare+
AppleCare+ is well worth it -- sometimes.
Photo: Apple

AppleCare+ has become almost synonymous with Apple device ownership. But as the extended warranty program enters 2026 with new pricing and features, it’s worth asking: Do you really need it?

A recent social media discussion among iPhone users, paired with insights from Apple’s coverage options, reveals that the answer depends heavily on which devices you own and how you use them.

Today in Apple history: iPad fails to impress Bill Gates

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Bill Gates Fox News
Bill Gates definitely doesn't wish Microsoft invented the iPad.
Photo: Fox News

February 11: Today in Apple history: iPad fails to impress Bill Gates February 11, 2010: With iPad excitement reaching a fever pitch, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates wades in with his opinion of Apple’s tablet. His view? Apple’s upcoming device is kinda meh.

“There’s nothing on the iPad I look at and say, ‘Oh, I wish Microsoft had done it,'” Gates tells one interviewer.

There’s a new best all-around iPhone game controller [Review] ★★★★★

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Ohsnap Mcon with iPhone 17★★★★★
The Ohsnap Mcon uses an innovative design that makes it portable and flexible.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Ohsnap Mcon doesn’t just rethink the mobile gaming controller — it practically throws the old playbook in the trash, delivering one of the most flexible and genuinely portable ways to play on the market today.

Even better, you can easily use it with your iPhone, but also your iPad and Mac.

I spent many hours playing games with the innovative controller — here’s why I love it.

6 great features in Messages in iOS 26

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Messages Features in iOS 26
There's a bunch of great new features to check out.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

The Messages app gains flashy new features in iOS 26 that make group chats far more fun and efficient. It also filters out spam texts, translates conversations and more.

As the iPhone’s default messaging app, Messages is one of Apple’s darlings. The app gains new features with every major update, but iOS 26 stands out as one of the best in years. Here’s how all the new Messages features work — keep reading or watch our quick video.

Instead of juggling AI tabs, grab this powerful browser extension

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AI-generated pop art image of MacBook with BrowserCopilot AI Chrome browser extension
Put AI right in your browser with an unlimited lifetime deal on BrowserCopilot.
AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac Deals

BrowserCopilot puts a powerful AI assistant right inside your web browser, helping you write, research and reply more quickly — without switching tabs or breaking your workflow.

It harnesses three of the most popular AIs around: ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. And for a limited time, you can secure lifetime access to BrowserCopilot for just $69. That’s an 88% discount off the regular price of $619.

1 in 4 smartphones active worldwide is an iPhone

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iPhone leads with the largest smartphone active installed base in 2026
iPhone leads with the largest smartphone active installed base in 2026.
Image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

With well over a billion iPhones in use, Apple beats all rivals in the size of its active installed base. Roughly one in four active smartphones worldwide is an iPhone, according to new research.

This didn’t happen by accident — Apple actively supports older iPhone models for a good reason: they’re an important source of revenue.

iPhone full again? This $30 photo backup stick fixes it instantly.

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Photo of a Photo Backup Stick Omega Universal inserted into a laptop.
This 64GB photo backup stick is now on sale at 40% of its retail price!
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

iPhone or Mac overloaded with pictures? The Photo Backup Stick Omega Universal from Paraben Consumer Software offers a quick fix. It’s a smart thumb drive for photo storage with USB-C, Lightning and micro USB connectors so it works with all your devices.

It comes in 64GB and 128GB models, and makes it easy to free up space across your Apple devices. And right now, it’s on sale for just $29.97 (MSRP $59.99).