Image Wand is a new feature in Apple Notes that turns rough sketches into full images — and creates images from scratch based on text prompts. Granted, it’s powered by Image Playground, so the imagery it creates isn’t exactly state of the art. Apple’s image-making tools still lag other AI systems. But if you’re a struggling artist, it may improve your squiggles.

Image Wand is part of Apple Intelligence, the growing set of AI features that work on the latest iPhones, Macs and iPads. It runs entirely on-device, so you don’t have to worry about usage limits, tokens or setting up accounts.

Check out how Image Wand works in the article below, or watch our quick video.

In a major supply chain shift, Apple plans to move the production of all iPhones sold in the United States to India by the end of 2026. This move should allow the company to avoid the extra tariffs the U.S. government imposed on China amid escalating trade tensions.

In another significant leadership reshuffle at Apple, a little-known robotics team will soon move from AI chief John Giannandrea’s oversight to John Ternus, Apple’s senior VP of Hardware Engineering, according to a new report Thursday.

This shift follows last month’s decision to remove Siri from Giannandrea’s responsibilities after concerns about execution on product development.

The new Anker Prime TB5 Docking Station with Thunderbolt 5 cable offers blazing-fast and broad connectivity for Mac users, the company said Wednesday. The dock is part of a wave of incredible new docks and hubs based on the technological advance.

An iPhone running iOS 19 will be able to display applications running in windows on an external screen, according to a Thursday report from a noted tipster.

If true, it’ll enable iOS to act much more Mac-like than ever before. If Apple continues developing in this direction, an iPhone could eventually be someone’s only computer .

The Apple Watch repeatedly saves lives around the world, thanks to its health monitoring features and emergency functions.

Here’s a comprehensive roundup of some of the most notable ways Apple Watch has saved people’s lives. From fit teenagers with undiagnosed health problems to car crash victims in danger of drowning, Apple’s smartwatch helps people cheat death in remarkable ways.

Most of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 lineup may receive a significant memory upgrade that will power the next generation of Apple Intelligence features, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Thursday. The iPhone Series 17 RAM boost will even come to the rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17 “Air.”

iPadOS 19 will include a menu bar at the top of the screen like the one in macOS, according to a noted tipster on Thursday. If true, it’ll be a major step toward making iPads act more like Macs.

In addition, the system for managing floating application windows is supposedly in for an upgrade in iPadOS 19.

In 1920, Italian immigrant Charles Ponzi defrauded investors in the Boston area and across the nation of what would today be a quarter of a billion dollars, going from penniless to the high life in no time and giving the classic “Ponzi scheme” its name, Apple TV+ said Thursday. It plans to tell the story of Ponzi’s mercurial rise and devastating fall in Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story, an eight-episode docudrama set to premiere on Apple Podcasts June 23.

And to listen, you can hook up your Apple TV+ account to Apple Podcasts to gain full access to the series. I’m betting it’s worth the investment of your time (but keep your money safe).

April 24, 2015: The original Apple Watch launch means consumers, who endured a seven-month wait after the device’s unveiling at a keynote the previous September, can finally strap an Apple wearable onto their wrists.

Apple CEO Tim Cook describes the smartwatch as the “next chapter in Apple history.”  Behind the scenes, however, the first Apple Watch launch is a moment long in the making.

When you head outside to watch wildlife, you’d better bring a good pair of iPhone binoculars. These HD binoculars from Gllysion offer powerful magnification (up to 12x) and also let you bring home evidence of what you spotted.

Cult of Mac Deals has a small stash of these refurbished iPhone binoculars on sale for $69.99 (regularly $149.99). Don’t miss your chance to see more of the great outdoors.

For the 10th anniversary of its launch, we compiled over a decade of Apple Watch history into a quick timeline. Starting with the original three collections — including models in solid 18 karat gold — all the way to today’s far more advanced (and sensible) Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 2.

The Apple Watch was the first major product introduction of Tim Cook’s reign as Apple CEO. There was immense pressure on Apple to prove that it could still innovate without Steve Jobs. While the Apple Watch wasn’t as flashy as the iPhone and iPad, it’s grown into an incredible business rife with breakthrough technology, in one of the most physically constrained form factors yet.

With Global Close Your Rings Day upon us, Apple Watch owners around the world showed off the pins they earned Thursday by participating in Apple’s fitness-oriented special event. The day marks a decade of Apple Watch Activity rings helping keep users active for their health.

“Apple Watch has changed the way people think about, monitor and engage with their fitness and health,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, in a press release Monday announcing the event. “A decade ago, we introduced Activity rings — and since then, Apple Watch has grown to offer an extensive set of features designed to empower every user. People write to us almost every day sharing how Apple Watch has made a difference in their life, from motivating them to move more throughout the day, to changing the trajectory of their health.”

The iPhone 16e already seems to be a winner for Apple. US sales data analyzed by CIRP show the new budget iPhone accounting for 7% of sales in Q1 2025.

This is with the device only launching at the end of February. So, it spent just one month on sale during the entire quarter.

The advanced new Nebula X1 4K smart projector features triple-laser light projection and the first liquid-cooling system in the industry, Nebula said Wednesday. Calling it “the ultimate backyard projector,” the Anker subsidiary hopes the device will revolutionize backyard entertainment with innovative features and easy setup.

TSMC unveiled its A14 chip-making process Wednesday, which is designed to increase the AI capabilities of future smartphones, among more general improvements. The Taiwanese foundry is perhaps best known for making all the processors for iPhone, Mac and other Apple computers.

A14 will follow the N2 process set to go into production later this year, and the A16 process scheduled for 2026.

Apple device users looking for a more compact and versatile charging solution now have a compelling new option in the new CukTech 15 140W GaN Charger, the company said Wednesday. That’s particularly good news for MacBook Pro owners. And not just because of the 40% off launch discount — but because this charger packs enough power for laptops.

The best way to send someone a great article you just read online is to share a link with highlighted text. It will quote whatever you found interesting in the post and encourage them to click the link.

While you could copy the quote and paste it in alongside the link, there’s a hidden way to do it in Safari. It’ll properly format the rich link with the quoted text highlighted above.

If you want to quote a specific line from an article or a how-to (like this one), sending it with a pull quote is easier and looks nicer than copying the text you want and putting it in quotation marks as a separate text.

And it takes just a second! Here’s how to share a link with highlighted text.

The system Apple set up to enable EU residents to load apps onto their iPhones outside the App Store violates the Digital Markets Act, according to a decision handed down Wednesday by the European Commission. It cites “overly strict eligibility requirements” and Apple’s new Core Technology Fee as reasons.

It’s a preliminary decision, but if Apple doesn’t make the app sideloading process easier, the DMA gives the European Commission the right to hit the iPhone maker with hefty fines.

Two new videos surfaced recently that use dummy units to show just how incredibly — even shockingly — thin the iPhone 17 Air will be when it comes out in several months.

“That’s futuristic,” one reviewer exclaimed, adding he doubted Apple will sell any other iPhone Series 17 models when customers see and feel the rumored slim model.

Anyone who follows along with my Setups coverage for Cult of Mac probably knows I’ve got a soft spot for great audio. And while my own setup and its surroundings bristle with solid audio gear, today’s M4 Mac mini workstation makes me twitch with envy. You can’t go wrong with KEF speakers — complete with subwoofer under the desk — as long as you have the cash to acquire them. And I’ve wanted Bowers & Wilkins headphones for years.

April 23, 2009: Less than a year after opening its virtual doors, the App Store reaches 1 billion downloads.

Peer-to-peer file sharing app Bump becomes the 1 billionth app to be downloaded. As a result of his purchase, 13-year-old Connor Mulcahey of Weston, Connecticut, wins a “1 Billion App Countdown” promotion.

He takes home an assortment of Apple products valued at more than $13,000, including a $10,000 iTunes gift card, a 32GB iPod touch, an Apple Time Capsule wireless router and a 17-inch MacBook Pro.

The European Union socked Apple with a fine of 500 million euros ($570 million) Wednesday for breaking antisteering rules in the Digital Markets Act. It also fined Meta 200 million euros for DMA violations.

The two companies face further fines if they don’t make the changes the EU demands.

In an effort to attract new viewers in a hugely competitive streaming market, Apple TV+ unveiled a limited-time promotion Wednesday. It offers a steep 70% discount on Apple TV+ subscriptions for both new and qualified returning subscribers through April 24. The steal of a deal’s timing coincides with Friday’s premiere of Your Friends & Neighbors with Jon Hamm as a rich guy-turned-thief.

The special offer allows eligible customers to subscribe to Apple TV+ for just $2.99 per month for three months, a significant savings from the regular $9.99 monthly fee. This brings the total cost to approximately $9 for the three-month period, making it one of the most affordable ways to access a premium streaming service in today’s competitive market.

Update: Grab the two-thirds off discount on Apple TV+ subscriptions now, because it ends Thursday, April 24.

Apple Watch does so much that it’s possible for some of its handy tricks to get lost. You can’t call these three Apple Watch tips  marquee features. But they can make life just a bit more convenient.

Here’s how to turn on the flashlight, find your iPhone and silence alarms on your iPhone from an Apple Watch.