Despite big promises, the Siri experience in iOS 18 is nowhere as good as it should be. An improved Siri reportedly will arrive with iOS 18.5 in May this year, one that is much smarter. However, don’t expect Siri to become like ChatGPT or Gemini until at least 2027.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: A new leak of CAD files gives us our supposed first look at the full iPhone 17 lineup. And, looking further into the future, it sounds like Apple ironed out the final wrinkle that was holding back a folding iPhone. We discuss the latest iPhone leaks and rumors, digging into what sounds good and what sounds bad. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for an action-packed gaming experience, Smoke Lara takes you on a thrilling adventure—check out our Guardian of Light iPhone review to learn more.
Also on The CultCast:
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 live stream, embedded below.
March 2, 1987: Three years after releasing the original Macintosh 128K, Apple launches a proper sequel, the almighty Macintosh II.
Although four Mac models already have been released, the definitive, full-number name of the Macintosh II makes clear that this is a major upgrade for the product line. With a massive hardware boost, optional color display (!) and a new open architecture, it does not disappoint!
★★★★★
The classic Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light just made its way to iPhone, iPad and Android. It’s an action-puzzler that’s been around for 15 years on other platforms because it’s so much fun to play.
Is the new port to mobile devices worth your time and a bit of cash? Read on.
Apple’s next MacBook Air refresh could reportedly happen “this coming week.” While an iPad Air refresh is also in the pipeline, it will arrive a few weeks later.
The company will supposedly launch the iPad 11 alongside the iPad Air refresh.
UPDATE (March 5): As predicted, the M4 MacBook Air launched on Wednesday. In addition, the new iPad Air came out a bit earlier than expected, and the iPad 11 debuted, also.
You know the feeling: You’re midflight, knee-deep in an important email or crushing it in a gaming session — and your laptop battery hits 1%. Panic mode activated. But with the Iniu Leopard 140W power bank, that nightmare (technically, it’s called nomophobia) never needs to happen again.
This airline-approved power bank isn’t just another bulky battery pack, either. It’s a fast-charging, multidevice powerhouse that can revive your MacBook Pro to 59% in just 30 minutes or juice up your iPhone 15 Pro Max to 71% before you finish your coffee. Loaded with advanced features and designed for everything from smartphones to gaming consoles, it’s the power solution you didn’t know you needed — but definitely do. And it’s on sale now for just $93.99.
The Gorge is the most popular film on streaming for a second week, according to a ratings tracker. The romantic action thriller from Apple TV+ stars Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Sigourney Weaver… plus a lot of monsters.
And Severance held onto a large audience of innies and outies, just as it has since early January.
We bet you never saw a keyboard like Mobile Pixels’ ergonomic Tetra Keyboard. You can put the two halves of this split keyboard anywhere you want to maximize comfort. Plus, it comes with an 8-inch, customizable touchscreen that lets you tap shortcuts to save time and effort.
Designed to transform typing and working habits, this sleek, portable device is great for anyone who spends a lot of time on a keyboard. For a limited time, you can grab one for just $269.98 with code TAKE40. That’s a hefty discount off the $399 list price.
If you want to keep your iCloud data completely private and secure, but you live in the United Kingdom — where Apple is rolling back Advanced Data Protection to comply with government demands — you’ll need an alternative to iCloud sync and backup features.
That’s because the only option is to not use iCloud. There’s no getting around it: without Advanced Data Protection, your iCloud backups can potentially be snooped on.
Turning off iCloud will have many negative ramifications. iCloud manages syncing services across all your devices. If you own an iPhone, Mac and/or iPad, iCloud makes sure all your messages, photos, app data, notes, passwords, bookmarks, etc., appear everywhere.
Without Advanced Data Protection, there are still a few of these backup services that are end-to-end encrypted. But a few critical services, like device backups, are not — and if you don’t disable them, you’ll have a big hole in your data security. Keep reading or watch our video.
March 1, 1991: Apple introduces the Apple IIe Card, a $199 peripheral that lets users turn Macs into fully functioning Apple IIe computers.
The ability to emulate the popular Apple IIe on a Mac brings Apple’s two operating systems side by side for the first time. While not quite the equivalent of Apple letting you run iOS on a Mac today, it’s not a world away.
Starting at $599, the iPhone 16e costs less than an iPhone 15. As you’ll see in this iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 15 comparison, Apple admittedly (and unavoidably) cut some corners while making its newest budget phone. However, the iPhone 16e also flexes some muscles the iPhone 15 can’t. If you’re interested in expert opinions and in-depth analysis, check out the latest iPhone SE reviews.
So, should you save your money and get the iPhone 16e or spend the extra $100 for the iPhone 15? Find out in this comparison.
Apple and the National Hockey League forged a partnership that puts Apple Watch at the center of game officiating, according to reports Friday. The collaboration introduced a custom-built NHL Watch Comms app designed specifically to assist on-ice officials during games, and it will see its first outdoor use Saturday.
“We wanted to make sure that the officials had really good awareness and were able to keep their eyes on play,” explains Andres de Corral, vice president of digital services at Presidio, the technology firm that developed the app. “So by enabling haptic responses, we were able to provide non-visual cues to the officials.”
These days, a well-equipped new Mac mini and a good docking station buy you loads of computing power and connectivity to plenty of peripherals for years to come. Today’s M4 Pro Mac mini workstation features a fine dock for Mac mini in the iVanky FusionDock Max 1 (even though the Thunderbolt 4 dock with a whopping 20 connection options was designed for MacBooks).
You can score amazing deals on Windows 11 Pro, Win 10 CD keys and other Microsoft products in CdkeySales’ March Madness Sale. The sale slashes some prices by up to 91%, so why not update your PC the quick and easy way, while Windows 11 CD keys are on sale?
You also can get great deals on upgrade-ready Microsoft productivity software like Microsoft Office. Savings include Windows 10 Pro for just $17.05 — with a free upgrade to Windows 11 Pro.
The right Microsoft Excel training can turn a mystery wrapped in frustration into a fantastic tool. If you ever watched a co-worker effortlessly create a chart while you struggled to make sense of formulas, you should level up your spreadsheet skills from the comfort of your own home.
With The Complete Microsoft Excel Training Bundle, you gain access to seven expert-led courses covering formulas, automation and data visualization, all designed to make Excel work for you instead of against you. Whether you’re a complete beginner or someone who wants to unlock Excel’s hidden superpowers, these courses walk you through real-world applications that save time, boost efficiency and improve data accuracy.
And at just $34.99 instead of $140, you’re getting lifetime access for less than the cost of a single takeout meal.
February 28, 2006: Apple introduces an upgraded Mac mini, an affordable computer powered by an Intel processor.
A “headless” Mac for entry-level users, it’s the third Apple computer to switch to Intel chips. Oh, and it makes one heckuva media player when plugged into a television set.
★★★★☆
In our Severance season 2 episode 7 recap of the episode “Chikhai Bardo,” we finally get the backstory of Mark S.’s wife Gemma, aka Lumon Industries’ Ms. Casey. With it comes a deeper look at what’s really going at the company. And by the way, the visually stunning, intellectually challenging and jarringly unfamiliar episode takes its title from a transitional experience in Tibetan Buddhist tradition, referring to the “moment of death” prior to rebirth. But whose death and whose rebirth?
Oh, and guest stars this week come as fascinating surprises: Robby Benson as the scary Lumon dentist who whistles “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and Sandra Bernhard as a scary Lumon nurse.
Last week’s episode brought us strange liaisons inside and outside of Lumon Industries. Mark S. and Helly R. got busy in an unused Lumon office. Outie Irving attends a tense but ultimately rewarding dinner with Burt and his husband, Fields. Before the end, Mark S. took a reckless risk that looked life-threatening.
A week after preorders began, the iPhone 16e went on sale Friday. If you preordered the device, your order should arrive today.
The newest member of the iPhone 16 family starts at $599, replacing the third-gen iPhone SE as the budget model in Apple’s lineup.
Apple made it easier for parents to specify the ages of children when creating Child Accounts intended to protect kids when they’re using an iPhone or iPad. And all Child Accounts have age-appropriate settings. Plus, a future iOS update will let parents update the ages of their children listed in their accounts.
The goal is to further ensure that children only have access to age-appropriate applications and content.
Early reviews of the iPhone 16e give the first real-world experience of the $599 phone that launches Friday. The takeaway: While it skimps on some features, the iPhone 16e offers excellent performance and is one of Apple’s best options for lengthy battery life.
Nevertheless, some reviews question whether the limited features justify the “budget” iPhone’s $599 price.
★★★★☆
Plug the AVerMedia Elite Go GC313Pro into a wall socket to charge your Mac or iPad, and then (surprise!) plug an HDMI monitor and USB accessories into it, too. It’s both a charger and a hub in one package, handy for any traveler. Plus, it can charge three devices at once — also great for travelers.
As a bonus feature, the gizmo is also a video capture card. But (spoiler alert) how useful this is for Apple users is questionable.
I tested the various functions of the 4-in-1 charging hub and came away impressed… mostly.
Recently released Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 wireless earbuds face major criticism due to substantial limitations in their heart rate monitoring capabilities, according to fitness reviewers and user reports. Inaccurate readings loom as an issue. iOS app pairing seems problematic. And you can’t listen to music via iPhone when you pair the Apple buds to gym equipment to show your heart rate — a fact Apple confirmed.
Oddly, the various Powerbeats Pro 2 heart rate monitor criticisms seem to apply only in the Apple ecosystem, not Android.
February 27, 1998: Apple discontinues work on the Newton MessagePad product line, the series of personal digital assistants the company launched five years earlier, and Newton OS, the operating system the devices run upon.
“This decision is consistent with our strategy to focus all our software development resources on extending the Macintosh operating system,” Apple’s interim CEO Steve Jobs says in a press release. “To realize our ambitious plans we must focus all of our efforts in one direction.”
★★★★☆
The Apple TV+ original film The Gorge neatly mixes romance and action, with a pair of highly trained agents falling in love while protecting the world from horrible monsters that lie hidden in the depths of the eponymous gorge.
It’s a fun popcorn movie, with stars Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy and Sigourney Weaver giving it their all. There’s plenty to enjoy for those who like action and for those who like romance. Put it on the calendar for your next date night.
That said, it benefits from the lower expectations for a straight-to-streaming film like this one. It’s fun, exciting, sweet … but not perfect.
Statik’s Snap-N-Charge universal magnetic power bank is small but versatile. Slightly larger than an AirPods Pro case, the 3,000mAh wireless charger comes with three tips — USB-C, Lightning and micro USB — that swap out easily so you can give a quick charge to almost any device.
Just pick the appropriate tip and snap the charger into place magnetically. The Snap-N-Charge can top up an iPhone, a pair of earbuds, a game controller and more. And for a limited time, you can buy a pack of three Snap-N-Charge magnetic power banks for only $64.99 (regularly $89.97).