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Congress pressures Apple to keep first unionized US store open

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Shuttered US Apple stores include first to unionize
Slated for closure, Apple Towson Town Center store in Maryland was the first one to unionize.
Photo: Apple

With a letter signed by 40 members of Congress sent Monday, Apple faces increased federal pressure over its plan to shut down the Apple Towson Town Center store in Maryland. The location, set to close on June 20, holds the distinction of being the first Apple retail store in the United States to unionize.

The congressional letter pulls no punches. The lawmakers describe the closure as “unacceptable in its impact, and deeply troubling in its national implications for workers’ rights.”

10 Apple Watch settings everyone should change

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Apple Watch Settings
Make sure you have these settings set up correctly.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

The small size and simplicity of the Apple Watch’s screen might fool you into thinking there aren’t a lot of settings you should tweak. But you would be sorely mistaken. It’s a powerful computer on your wrist, and thus, the Settings app is a deep rabbit hole. 

You could lose hours going through every last setting, but I can save you the trouble. There are 10 Apple Watch settings I suggest everyone adjust. I’ll show you what they all do and how to change them. 

Next-gen OLED Apple Watch displays could lead to longer battery life

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Next-gen OLED Apple Watch displays
Apple Watch OLED displays are great now, but more advanced tech could boost power efficiency and, therefore, battery life.
Photo: Apple

The display in your Apple Watch may already seem pretty great, but a new type of screen technology in development could make models in the next year or two even better by running for longer on a single charge, according to a new report.

A free tier for Apple Music might be closer than you think

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A photo of the Apple Music app on an iPhone screen, used in a story about Apple Music rumored to get a free tier.
A free Apple Music plan could help the service significantly increase its user base.
Photo: Brett Jordan/Pexels

Just a month after Apple Music’s chief called a free tier a “terrible idea,” code found in a beta version of the streaming service’s Android app suggests Apple might be prepping to do just that.

For years, Apple has avoided offering a free or low-cost subscription tier. But as it races to catch up with Spotify, Apple could be reconsidering its stand.

iOS 26.5.1 update fixes charging problem with Phone 17 and iPhone Air

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iOS 26.5.1 update
If you're one of the unlucky few the charging problem vexes, here's your solution.
Image: Cult of Mac

Apple made an update available for its iPhone operating system Monday with iOS 26.5.1. It addresses a wired charging problem some users with iPhone Series 17 or iPhone Air handsets face.

Apple said the problem affects a “small number of users.” But for the few users who face it, the problem probably feels pretty big. The same goes for a Mac glitch fixed by macOS 26.5.1, also released Monday.

Block ads and data trackers forever with this top-rated service

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AdGuard ad blocker for iOS, Mac, Android and WIndows. Get a lifetime of ad blocking and privacy protection from this top-rated plan.
Get a lifetime of ad blocking and privacy protection from AdGuard's top-rated family plan.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Hackers and malicious viruses are very much a concern when you’re on the web, but the biggest threats to your productivity and your privacy come from everyday internet hazards. AdGuard — an ad blocker for iOS, Mac, Android and Windows — helps protect your privacy by shielding you from the hidden bots that track your every online move and turn your data into currency for advertisers and bad actors both big and small.

When it comes to these threats, regular antivirus software won’t cut it. AdGuard, on the other hand, is specifically designed to deal with both annoying ads and the data crawlers hidden inside them. For a limited time, you can get a lifetime subscription to AdGuard’s family plan for just $15.97.

Samsung’s new monitors offer features Apple still doesn’t

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A photo of the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 used in a story about the same.
Samsung's new OLED monitors are cheaper than Apple's, and have higher refresh rates.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung just launched three new monitors that finally give Mac users a big reason to upgrade, addressing many of the gaps that Apple’s own monitors have left open for quite some time.

The new Samsung monitor lineup includes a 40-inch curved ultrawide and 4K OLED models in two sizes (27-inch and 32-inch). They also come with Thunderbolt 5 ports, built-in KVM switching and faster refresh rates than Apple’s displays.

iOS 27 could make it way easier to split the bill

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Bill-splitting tool coming to iOS 27
Soon iOS 27 will make this process a lot smoother.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Apple WWDC26:Apple prepares to bring one of the most-requested social money features directly into iPhone, with a new bill-splitting tool expected to debut as part of iOS 27 this fall, according to a new report Monday. We expect to hear more about it next week at WWDC26.

Apple reveals ‘All systems glow’ tagline, wallpaper and playlist for WWDC26

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WWDC26: All systems glow
Apple wants to get us all ready for its big developer conference, iOS 27 and more.
Photo: Apple

Apple WWDC26:With one week to go until its annual developer showcase, Apple leaned into a luminous theme with the new WWDC26 tagline “All systems glow.”

You can get your devices ready for the WWDC26 keynote, which kicks off the weeklong event on June 8, with new wallpaper and an Apple Music playlist.

Today in Apple history: Apple II gets its first disk drive

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Photo of the Apple Disk II, the floppy drive for the Apple II computer that Steve Wozniak worked on over the Christmas holiday in 1977.
The Disk II floppy drive was anything but a flop for Apple.
Photo: Wikipedia CC

June 1: Today in Apple history: Apple II gets a disk drive, the Disk II floppy drive June 1, 1978: Apple launches the Disk II floppy drive, one of the company’s most important peripherals ever.

The best floppy drive available at the time, Disk II solves the Apple II computer’s most glaring weakness — a lack of storage. It also helps establish Apple’s flair for handsome profit margins.

Sennheiser Momentum 5 headphones offer something AirPods Max don’t

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Sennheiser Momentum 5
Being able to easily swap out the battery could adds years of life to these premium cans.
Photo: Sennheiser

New Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless over-ear headphones bring Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio, upgraded noise cancellation and one killer feature major players like Apple and Bose will have to consider adding — a user-replaceable battery, which can greatly extend the life of the product.

The new Sennheiser cans arrive June 16 for $399.99.

Airline passenger picks the worst possible name for Bluetooth accessory

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Airline passenger picks the worst possible name for Bluetooth accessory
Don't choose a stupid name for a Bluetooth accessory you bring on a plane.
Photo: 정규송 Nui Malama/Pexels

Think for a minute. What’s the absolute worst name you could give a Bluetooth accessory you’re going to take on a plane? A teenager on a flight from Spain reportedly chose one so bad that it caused the airliner to turn around halfway and return to New Jersey.

It’s a warning that airlines do not have a sense of humor, and you’re probably not as clever as you think you are.

Tiny, low-cost portable speaker finds a place in any audio arsenal [Review] ★★★★☆

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Tozo PE1 Portable Wireless Sports Speaker review★★★★☆
Tozo's PE1 just might be the tiny addition your audio arsenal needs. At its low price, why not?
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Apple users live in one of the most polished hardware ecosystems on Earth. Every accessory entering that orbit gets held to a higher standard — not just for specs, but for how effortlessly it fits in. My Tozo PE1 Portable Wireless Speaker review concludes that the tiny gadget finds a place quite easily, with great sound, fantastic portability and solid durability. Plus it’s incredibly inexpensive. 

Price cut: Get 3 years of piano lessons on your iPhone, iPad or Mac for just $55

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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 $54.97 for three years. A flesh-and-blood piano teacher might charge that much for a single lesson!

First Apple smart glasses may not arrive until late 2027

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Apple Glasses render
Apple Glasses is over a year away from launch.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Apple’s first smart glasses will reportedly stand out based on strong brand value, “industrial design and iPhone integration,” according to new information that surfaced Sunday.

The company will seemingly launch its first smart glasses near the end of 2027.

Today in Apple history: Newspaper replaces photo staff with iPhones

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More than a trillion photos were captured in 2015.
A big Chicago daily pulls the plug on staff photographers.
Photo: HypeBeast

May 31: Today in Apple history: Chicago Sun-Times replaces photo staff with iPhones May 31, 2013: The Chicago Sun-Times fires all 28 of its photographers, with the goal of training its staff to shoot photos using iPhones instead. Pulitzer Prize winner John H. White is among those who lose their jobs.

The move is significant not just because of what it says about the declining newspaper industry. It also spotlights the iPhone’s growing acceptance as a professional camera.

Why AirTag 2 makes an even better pet tracker

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AirTag 2 makes a great low-cost pet tracker for cats (or dogs).
AirTag 2 makes a great low-cost pet tracker for cats (or dogs).
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Don’t let your beloved cat or dog wander around without some kind of tracking device. If your fuzzy buddy goes missing, you’ll regret not having some way to locate them.

And the good news is it’s cheap and easy. I put Apple’s AirTag 2 on my cat’s collar as a pet tracker, and it’s going very well. Here’s why you should consider it for your own pet … including replacing a first-gen model.

Ferrari Luce is the Apple car we never got [Cult of Mac podcast No. 22]

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Photo of a blue Ferrari Luce, along with the words,
That ain't no Apple car, but it's close!
Image: Ferrari/Cult of Mac

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: The new Ferrari Luce is a $540,000 electric vehicle that’s the closest thing to an Apple car we’re ever going to see. That’s no surprise, considering the key role ex-Apple design chief Jony Ive played in crafting the EV.

We discuss the good, the bad and the laughable about the car (and fantasize about sliding behind the wheel).

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

  • A last-minute bombshell gives us an awfully good look at what the new AI-powered Siri — and the rest of iOS 27 — will look like. It’s filled with major spoilers for the WWDC26 keynote, which is coming on June 8. Tim Cook must be seething!
  • A long-overdue tweak in iOS 27 should make it easier to use AirPods‘ advanced features. We’re thrilled. But will the changes go far enough?
  • And finally, special guest Christina Warren returns to join in on all the fun. Plus, she gives us an update on what’s going on at GitHub amid the AI frenzy.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast 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.

Sick of cloud storage subscriptions? Grab a 2TB portable SSD at a steep discount.

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Image of SanDisk portable SSD with dimensions shown around it
This SanDisk portable 2TB SSD is on sale for 46% off!
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The SanDisk Extreme is a pocket-size 2TB SSD that’s speedy and reliable. It hits read speeds up to 1,050 MB/s and write speeds up to 1,000 MB/s over USB 3.2 Gen 2.

And right now, you can grab this tiny SSD (that’s gigantic on the inside) on sale for just $269.99. That’s nearly half off the regular price of $499.99.

8 built-in editing tools to glow up your pictures on your iPhone

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Screenshot adjust Portrait mode on a photo, captioned, Edit Picture On iPhone
Master your photos. No computer nor equipment required.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Who needs a computer or expensive photo editing software like Adobe Lightroom? You can edit pictures right on your iPhone with Apple’s free, built-in tools.

The Photos app comes with a ton of professional editing tools baked into it. If you didn’t line your shot up quite right, you can fix the crop and perspective. If you took it a split second too late, you can use Live Photo functionality to replace the shot. You can add a Portrait mode blur after the fact, and even change which part of the image is in focus. 

Here are the eight great editing tools built right into your iPhone. 

Keep your AirTag updated with the latest firmware

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Apple AirTag 2 firmware update
Updating AirTag firmware is easy. But it requires patience.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple is rolling out a firmware update for the AirTag 2. The new version 3.0.49 is a simple bug fix update, though, without new features.

Still, you’ll probably want it, but it turns out that updating the AirTag’s software is both easy and hard. You don’t need to jump through hoops, but neither do you have much control.

Here’s what you need to do.

Is Apple’s nano-texture glass worth it on the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro?

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A picture of an iPad Pro with a person using an Apple Pencil, used in a story about Apple's nano-texture glass.
Apple’s nano-texture glass cuts glare, but comes with some downsides.
Photo: Apple

Apple charges $100 to add nano-texture glass to the iPad Pro, and even more if you want to add the anti-glare tech to a MacBook Pro. The technology is undoubtedly impressive, but the real question is whether your work requires it.

Here’s what you need to know before spending your money on Apple’s matte display tech.