Cult of Mac

You know it’s a special day at Apple when the company whips out its rainbow stage. Designed by Apple’s industrial design team, back when Jony Ive was in charge, the rainbow stage — adorned in Apple’s classic logo colors — made its debut in May 2019. That year, it was used for a concert by Lady Gaga for Apple employees.

With many Apple employees currently working from home, a concert after today’s event seems unlikely. Nonetheless, Tim Cook — who tweeted out a picture of the rainbow stage — is clearly in a party mood.

Need a new iPhone to enjoy the best of iOS 14? Check out Woot’s latest deal on “grade A” iPhone X refurbs. You can bag yours, fully unlocked for use on any carrier, for under $310 today only.

A pair of swallowed AirPods, still inside their charging case, were successfully extracted from a puppy — without damage to either dog or hearables.

UK-based owner Rachel Hick, from Hull, rushed her golden retriever Jimmy to the vets after it swallowed the wireless earbuds and charging case on Easter Sunday.

While Mother’s Day is known for brunches and flowers, there are a million ways to say “I love you” to Mom, and this 4-in-1 wireless charger is something every modern-day mom is secretly wishing for.

What better way to show Mom you care than to power her favorite devices through her special day? For a limited time, you can score an Omnia Q4 4-in-1 Wireless Charging Station for $47.96 with code WELOVEMOM. That’s a full 20% off the regular price of $69.

Is Apple finally getting serious about podcasting? With a premium podcast service reportedly in the works, and several exclusive shows already online, it looks like Apple might be ready to defend its turf when it comes to the increasingly popular medium.

It’s about time. The company that was so strongly identified with podcasts from the start is rapidly losing its dominance as competitors come on strong. Here’s how Apple could regain its podcasting edge.

Update: Now that Apple’s Spring Loaded event is history, you can watch (or rewatch) it at the YouTube link below.

Apple’s next big event is just hours away, and it promises to be a big one for fans of iPad, AirPods and more. It will be an online-only affair, like other recent Apple events, and you’ll be able to watch it live almost anywhere.

Find out how before the “Spring Loaded” event begins in just a few hours.

Update: The Apple Online Store is down as well now. Expect it to go back up following the conclusion of today’s Apple event.

The Apple Online Store sitemap page is down ahead of today’s “Spring Loaded” event.

Usually, Apple takes the entire Apple Online Store down ahead of its special events. Today that doesn’t appear to have happened. (Although this could change as the day progresses.)

Nonetheless, this highlights that Apple is expecting to make some changes to the products on offer — likely including a new iPad Pro, iMac, and possible other products like Apple’s location-tracking AirTags. There may also be more information about Apple’s rumored Podcasts+ service.

A 2021 iMac is supposedly among the highlights of Apple “Spring Loaded” event on Tuesday. Concept artists have dreamed up proposals for what the upcoming all-in-one desktop might look like.

These vary as to details but are likely to please anyone tired of the very large screen bezels that have marked previous iMac models… and is looking forward to a speedy M-series processor.

Take a look at some of the eye-opening concepts before the big reveal on Tuesday.

GoDonut is a tough, portable stand that’s compatible with a wide range of handsets and small tablets. It can be used in landscape or portrait, and offers multiple viewing angle. Plus, it’s colorful and fun.

I tested GoDonut with iPhone and iPad. And other devices, too. Here’s why I like it. And why I don’t.

Get your Apple Watch ready for summer with these colorful, high-quality Milano leather bands from Laut. They’re beautifully made, with a slim and lightweight design that’s great for warm weather, and they’re nicely priced at under $50. Bag yours today from the Cult of Mac Store.

Lucky beta testers will get first access to Xbox Cloud Gaming this week. This allows subscribers to play 100+ console-quality games on an iPad or iPhone.

Apple put restrictive rules on cloud-gaming services wanting to appear in the App Store. Microsoft’s solution was to create a web app for its service.

The controversial social-networking service Parler will soon reappear in the App Store. Apple reportedly un-banned the service Monday after it promised to start moderating content.

Then service was banned from the iOS and Android software stores after it was used to plan the attack on the U.S. Capital in January.

Adobe co-founder Charles “Chuck” Geschke passed away Friday at the age of 81, Adobe has confirmed. During his career, Geschke oversaw Adobe’s operations as it released game-changing innovations include Photoshop, along with ubiquitous file formats such as PDF.

Adobe’s history has long been entwined with Apple — including a $2.5 million investment from Apple in 1985 that led to the creation of a PostScript controller for the Apple LaserWriter.

Redditor skylar_schutz makes music on keyboard and guitar, but their Mac mini M1’s sound quality doesn’t do it for them. That’s not a huge shock. Many mini owners, past and present — if they’re even close to identifying as audiophiles — use AirPlay 2, Bluetooth or USB-wired speakers with their setups.

“The sound coming out from the M1 mac mini is just so-so … wouldn’t recommend it if you aim to enjoy listening to music from it, more so if you intend to do music production,” skylar_schutz wrote in reply to a question.

The iPhone 13 will introduce the ultra-fast 5G mmWave to more countries, TFI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims. This could include rollouts in places likes Canada, Japan, Europe, and elsewhere.

The latest iPhone models have cameras that far exceed most users’ photography skills. Even some professional photographers build portfolios exclusively using their trusty smartphones. Ever wonder how you can replicate their results and take your iPhone photography to the next level?

You’re not alone: That’s exactly why the team at Pictar developed the Pictar Smart Grip, a powerful smartphone camera grip that gives users control like never before. Available for a limited time at just $73.99, the Pictar Smart Grip is a convenient camera tool that will have you smiling in photos all summer long.

Apple could debut a premium podcast service at Tuesday’s “Spring Loaded” event, according to Recode reporter Peter Kafka.

“Pretty sure Apple is prepping its own podcast plan – a paid subscription service – on Tuesday,” Kafka tweeted Sunday.

No additional details are known about the possible podcast initiative, which presumably would join paid subscription services Apple News+, Apple Music, Apple TV+ and Apple Fitness+. The possibility of a paid podcasting service from Apple was rumored earlier this year.

Need an affordable Mac that can tackle almost anything you throw at it? Pick up a bargain iMac or Mac mini refurb from Woot today for as little as $199.99. This is a limited-time deal that won’t last long, so don’t miss out!

Last week, Siri leaked the date and time of the upcoming Apple event. And this wasn’t the first time Apple’s own virtual assistant told the world about an upcoming event before the official announcement.

So step back Jon Prosser. Stand aside Mark Gurman. Siri is now the most accurate Apple leaker.

When you think of projectors, you probably have a pretty old-school understanding of what they’re capable of. That makes perfect sense, considering you probably watched a bunch of blurry presentations on your teacher’s old, rattling behemoth of a machine.

But these days, projectors include some of the technology that makes all devices so appealing. In fact, they can be used to stream your favorite movies and TV shows. They’re a far cry from the relics you’re used to. Not only does this Minolta MN673 Mini LCD Projector look completely modern and sleek, but it also projects video and other media in crisp 1080p.

As you might expect, we can’t wait to see what new gear Apple unleashes next Tuesday.

If you don’t mind spoiling the surprises, take a look at our predictions about what will bounce out of Cupertino’s magic pipeline during the “Spring Loaded” event.

However, if you’d rather skip the spoilers and spend your weekend watching astonishing animals, check out our reviews of the totally binge-worthy new season of Tiny World and the other new nature shows that just arrived on Apple TV+ for your Earth Day enjoyment.

Get up to speed with our iOS publication, Cult of Mac Magazine. Download the app for free to read on your iOS device, or get the links below.

Google Stadia could be the answer for anyone who wants to play console-quality games on an iPad. There are many big-name titles to choose from, and players can use off-the-shelf game controllers. This is cloud gaming — everything is played online so the service doesn’t take up space on your iPad.

I spent quite a bit of time playing Stadia games on an Apple tablet. Here’s why I recommend it.

This week, Cult of Mac is giving away four beautiful, protective MacBook folios from our friends at Woolnut. Retailing at $196, Woolnut’s Folio is constructed from high-quality Scandinavian leather and German natural wool felt. The luxurious case is tailor-made to fit the MacBook like a glove.

If you want to protect your pricey MacBook, be sure to enter this giveaway.

Life can be really complicated — and protecting your internet connection doesn’t seem to be exempt from that. From fiddling around with complex VPN settings to keeping a watchful eye out for scammers, it can be difficult just to focus on your own productivity or watch some of your favorite videos in your downtime.

If you’re looking for a simple but highly effective solution to protect your internet connection and drown out the noise of advertising, look no further than the Winston Privacy Filter.

Trusted tipster Mark Gurman says the 2021 iMac all-in-one desktop might be the next to get the M1 processor. The announcement could be only a few days away.

And that’s only the beginning. There’s plenty more evidence that an upgraded iMac will launch at Apple’s April 20 event.