This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Griffin gets his hands on the new M5 Vision Pro, and he’s all too happy to share his first impressions about the upgraded headset.

Also on The CultCast:

• The latest iOS beta offers a strange option for people who dislike Liquid Glass.
• New rumors about Apple’s folding iPhone and iPad make both projects sound a bit shaky. And the prices we might pay when these devices finally arrive? Outrageous!
• The Mac mini is one smokin’ machine, and it powers some pretty sweet setups.
• And finally, we field a question from a listener about our Cult of Mac workflows.

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

October 25, 2003: Mac OS X Panther arrives on Macintosh computers, bringing several useful new features and making Safari Apple’s default web browser for the first time.

The new Exposé feature in OS X Panther lets Mac users instantly view all open windows at once. And the new iChat AV allows people to talk with audio and video as well as text.

The 2025 iPad Pro is the best high-end tablet Apple’s ever made. Don’t make the mistake of dismissing it as a “chip and ship” upgrade because the major change is the new M5 processor. Plenty of other enhancements make the tablet better than the M4 model. It moves files much faster, charges more quickly, offers better Wi-Fi and more.

If you’re still using an older model like the M1 iPad Pro, you’ll see really huge changes for the better if you upgrade to Apple’s latest tablet.

Based on my time with the M5 iPad Pro, here are seven new features that make the tablet really stand out.

With iOS 26.1, Apple will finally address one of the most annoying issues iPhone users face when uploading photos to third-party apps. They will no longer need to keep the app open for the upload process to complete.

Right now, only Apple’s Photos app can reliably back up your pictures to the cloud even if the app is not in the foreground.

You can hide apps on your iPhone so they’re completely invisible, and you can lock all kinds of apps so they require Face ID to open.
Why would you want to? Maybe you have sensitive content you don’t want anyone to see, or you don’t want anyone to know you’re using dating or hookup apps. Hiding apps is also good for staying off social media or away from addictive games. Plus, it’s a great way to declutter your iPhone’s Home Screen. You can really clean things up without deleting apps you might want to keep.
There are, however, a few essential apps on your phone that can’t be hidden. Here’s how it all works.

A new M4 iMac deal knocks 9% off the price of Apple’s 24-inch computer, dropping it to just $1,182.10. The all-in-one desktop machine is right for both families and businesses.

Besides its stellar performance, the machine stands out for its beautiful 4.5K Retina display and sleek design.

Ben Stiller, a driving force behind Apple TV hit workplace psychodrama Severance, now turns to a much more personal subject as a director: his famous comedian parents. His new documentary, Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost, begins streaming Friday on Apple TV. And it looks like it might prompt laughs as well as tears.

October 24, 1988: Three years after leaving Apple, Steve Jobs prepares to launch the NeXT Computer, a machine he hopes will cement his reputation as a tech genius and blow away the machines produced by Cupertino.

The new NeXT Computer receives a wave of positive publicity. Fawning stories show exactly what the 33-year-old Jobs has been working on — and what’s coming next.

After spending some time with Apple’s new base-model 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro, I’ve come to a clear conclusion: It’s an excellent laptop that represents the absolute best iteration of a formula Apple perfected years ago. But whether you should buy one depends entirely on what you’re upgrading from and what you actually do with your computer.

ChatGPT maker OpenAI has acquired Software Applications Inc., a company founded by former Apple employees who worked on Workflow, the software Apple acquired in 2017 and renamed “Shortcuts.”

At Software Applications, the team has been hard at work on Sky, an AI-powered assistant that can perform actions across any app on your Mac. The acquisition should give OpenAI a leg up when it comes to integrating ChatGPT into Macs.

The iPhone Air is Apple’s latest attempt to make a fourth iPhone variant. It’s bombing, just like previous similar efforts. It’s clear that the vast majority of customers are happy with the other versions and have no interest in another type of iPhone, no matter what design it uses.

Apple should drop the whole idea. Too many options are as bad as too few.

West Virginia has just become the thirteenth U.S. state or territory to support digital driver’s licenses and IDs stored in the Wallet app on iPhone or Apple Watch.

Check our list to see if your state has already joined the program.

October 23, 2001: Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduces the first iPod, a device capable of storing an entire music library in a highly portable package.

The first-generation device boasts a 5GB hard drive capable of putting “1,000 songs in your pocket.” That may not sound too dazzling in a world in which people can stream the massive Apple Music library from their iPhones, but it was a game-changer at the time!

It seems Apple might buy Warner Bros. Discovery, the media and entertainment company that owns HBO, CNN and other high-profile properties. Apple reportedly expressed interest in acquiring parts of the company, particularly its extensive film and television library, as the media giant explores a potential sale, according to a report Thursday.

Such a deal would be a massive boost for Apple TV, adding depth to the streaming service’s catalog.

The iPhone 20 is reportedly coming sooner than you might think. Apple is so eager to release the 20th anniversary model that it might skip a number and introduce the iPhone 20 months before the usual schedule.

Knowing how to edit or unsend iMessages on your iPhone could come in clutch. Like when you text your mom, “Finally got laid today” when you meant to say “paid.”
Thankfully, it’s easy to rewrite history in iMessage. Let me show you how this lifesaving feature works.

Critically acclaimed thriller series Hijack returns to Apple TV for a second season on January 14, 2026, Apple said Tuesday as it released a moody teaser trailer for the show.

The second edge-of-your-seat hijacking once again puts Emmy-nominated actor Idris Elba at the center of the action. He sure gets into some trouble, doesn’t he? 

The Apple A20 chip in next year’s iPhone will be made using a new 2nm process that will increase the performance while boosting battery life. But the new chip won’t come cheap, according to a Wednesday report. A considerable jump in price is expected … though perhaps not enough to force Apple to raise the cost of its handsets.

The same goes for the M6 processor headed for future Macs.

October 22, 2008: During a conference call, Apple CEO Steve Jobs reveals that a user downloaded the 200 millionth app from the App Store that very day.

The news comes less than five months after the launch of the App Store, and only a month after Apple surpassed 100 million app downloads.

The Satechi OntheGo Bluetooth Keyboard with Stand is an ideal option for those who need to add a travel keyboard to their iPad and don’t want to limit the accessory to only one tablet. Or want to add a portable keyboard to their iPad without giving up the case they like.

It can switch between computers with a simple push of a button. Plus, it’s not limited to tablets.

I’ve tested the multi-device input device with my iPad and iPhone, and came away quite pleased.

Low demand for the super-slim iPhone Air in markets outside China led Apple to drastically cut its production orders, according to a new report. But the company is increasing assembly for other iPhone 17 models due to high demand.

The report comes after the iPhone Air sold out within minutes of preorders opening in China last week. After the initial buzz faded, demand appears to have dropped off

Apple’s new M5-powered MacBook Pro, iPad Pro and Vision Pro hit store shelves Wednesday, and shoppers who preordered the devices began receiving them as well.

OpenAI released its ChatGPT Atlas browser for Mac on Tuesday, making it easy to use the AI chatbot wherever you go online. When using the free browser to visit a website, you can tap into ChatGPT’s knowledge to provide more information about whatever’s on the page.

For example, after searching for a top Airbnb listing in a certain locale, you could ask ChatGPT for best hikes in the area or tell the chatbot to assemble an itinerary for a three-day trip — right within the browser. An agent mode, available to paid ChatGPT users, can go even further.

However, while OpenAI says it built in safeguards to mitigate the dangers of allowing an AI to act for you on logged-in websites, the company admits that using agent mode carries risks. And there’s still the common AI problem of hallucinations.

Apple’s effort to push its tablet lineup to the cutting edge has reportedly run into multiple snags. The company continues to work on an 18-inch, all-screen folding iPad, but the proposed $3,000 price is enough to give anyone pause … even Apple.

And that’s not the only roadblock Apple’s engineers supposedly slammed into. The sad result? The long-rumored device might not arrive for years.

The first reviews for Apple’s new M5 MacBook Pro just landed, and the consensus among tech reviewers is clear: The incremental update improves an already excellent laptop. The 14-inch machine’s design remains unchanged from last year’s M4 model. However, improvements to processing power, storage speed and AI capabilities make it a compelling option for those upgrading from older machines. Still, current M4 MacBook Pro owners have little reason to feel envious.

Across M5 MacBook Pro reviews from The Verge, Wired, Tom’s Guide and Engadget, the laptop earns praise for its performance while raising questions about who should actually buy it.