Pansophy is a secure personal AI assistant that runs on your Mac (or other computer). Once installed, Pansophy acts like a constant companion that can help with writing, coding, research, planning and everyday problem-solving.

You can ask it to draft emails, clean up text, brainstorm marketing ideas, outline projects or walk through tricky concepts. It feels similar to chatting with a cloud-based model, only everything happens on your CPU.  It’s a fully local AI assistant that runs without accounts, subscriptions or cloud processing.

And right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to Pansophy for just $79 (regularly $199).

December 4, 1992: Apple engineers demonstrate a “proof of concept” of the Mac operating system running on an Intel computer. More than a decade before Macs will switch to Intel processors, getting Mac OS to run on PCs is an astonishing feat.

It’s part of an aborted plan to make Apple’s software available on other manufacturers’ hardware. Apple ultimately chickens out, fearing (probably correctly) that such a move would hurt Macintosh sales.

In 2025 an unprecedented talent exodus decimated Apple’s leadership ranks, with Meta Platforms emerging as the primary beneficiary of the iPhone maker’s retention struggles. The social media giant has successfully lured away four high-profile executives from Apple’s artificial intelligence and design divisions, raising serious questions about the Cupertino company’s competitive position in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Find out more about the top executives left Apple for Meta below.

Whether you’re commuting, working out or just enjoying your favorite music, there’s a pair of earbuds on our list of best budget earbuds for less than $100 that can meet your needs without (much) compromise.

Today’s budget-friendly earbuds offer impressive features once reserved for premium models — excellent sound quality, active noise cancellation, long battery life and companion apps for customization.

And can you believe it? Even an Apple product made our list of best budget earbuds (when it’s on sale).

Meet Steve Lemay, the new head of user interface design at Apple — the highest-profile software design job at the giant company, and possibly the world.

Unfortunately for Lemay, who has worked at Apple since 1999, he shares the same first name as the late Steve Jobs, who nicknamed him “Margaret” — a name that reportedly stuck.

Aside from being called “Margaret” internally at Apple, Lemay has a long and stellar design record at the company. He’s helped shape everything from OS X to visionOS. He is named on hundreds of patents and helped develop one of Apple’s most highly celebrated UI tricks.

Apple’s set to lose yet another top executive as Alan Dye, the company’s head of user-interface design, departs for Meta Platforms, according to a new report Wednesday. While some view this as a coup for Meta, others seem tickled pink to see Dye head for the exit.

This major news instantly inspired Liquid Glass-fueled snark over whether Dye’s departure is really such a big loss for the iPhone giant.

Apple on Wednesday seeded the iOS 26.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.2 release candidates to developers and public testers, a move that typically signals the software is just about ready. The final versions are expected to arrive next week.

There is a useful change to AirDrop file sharing, improvements to Sleep Score for Apple Watch wearers, a prominent tweak to Liquid Glass and more.

Release candidates for iPadOS 26.2, watchOS 26.2, tvOS 26.2 and visionOS 26.2 also went out on Wednesday.

Not every Cult of Mac reader is all Mac, all the time. We know many of you use PCs for various reasons — and here’s the big Windows 11 sale you’ve been waiting for.

For a limited time, you can get a lifetime license to Windows 11 Pro for less than $10 from Cult of Mac Deals.

Contact Posters let you customize how your Apple contact card looks to other people when you call them. If they have your contact info in their address book, your customized Contact Poster will appear on their iPhone’s screen. 

Done right, Contact Posters look great — way better than the old thumbnail images that preceded them. Plus, it’s really easy to turn an ordinary picture into a gorgeous-looking Contact Poster that makes a real impact.

And once you set one up, everyone with your matching phone number and/or Apple Account will see your chosen contact picture and personalized Contact Poster.

I’ll show you how to set one up; the process might look familiar if you’ve set up a custom Lock Screen.

The Abxylute M4 game controller is genuinely pocket-size, but clip it to your iPhone and you’ll have all the buttons and sticks you want to play retro and modern games.

It clings to your iPhone’s MagSafe connector, plus it includes a stand for detached gaming.

I enjoyed testing out the pint-size game controller with my iPhone 17, as long as I accepted the reasons for its necessary limitations. The affordable price helped a lot, too.

December 3, 2012: News Corp pulls the plug on The Daily, the world’s first iPad-only newspaper, less than two years after launching the publication.

While the writing has been on the wall for some time, the closure is a blow for those who view the iPad as the savior of the traditional publishing industry.

Organize your week the fast and easy way with Smart Calendars AI, an app that works like your personal scheduling assistant. It works on iPhone, iPad and Mac and makes it simple to plan out your personal agenda.

This isn’t just another planner app. It’s an AI-powered assistant that thinks the way you do — capturing ideas, interpreting context and turning them into organized plans without the mental gymnastics.

And right now, you can bag a three-year subscription to Smart Calendars AI for just $29.99.

Some people accept that many computers and external displays have pretty good speakers in them and leave their computer setup audio at that, plus maybe a pair of headphones or earbuds. Others accept no such thing and insist on cranking up the volume and ripping the knob off with killer audio gear. My roundup of cool setups below focuses on stellar workstation audio and those who, like me, take it as seriously as living room audio. 

Apple may ship a whopping 247 million iPhones in 2025 thanks to the “phenomenal success” of iPhone 17. The new iPhones have also led to Apple reclaiming its lost market share in China.

Post the launch of iPhone 17, Apple grabbed 20% market share in China, “miles ahead of the competition,” says an IDC report.

One minute you’re looking at a pair of cowboy boots on the web; the next, you’re getting Instagram ads for that exact same brand. You’re not paranoid. And with a virtual private network like iProVPN, you could be browsing a lot more privately.

A VPN gives you a simple way to get all-around protection on your devices to keep your sensitive data safe. If you don’t want to spend a fortune, consider grabbing this five-year iProVPN subscription for just $19.99, down from $360.

Your next Mac might run on an Intel processor, which is a gigantic surprise, considering Apple dropped the chipmaker years ago in favor of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.

But there’s a standout reason why Apple needs Intel — and it might not be what you think.

Apple Music Replay is a great way to find your music stats for the past year: the most played songs, artists and albums in the last 12 months. Similar to Spotify Wrapped and the like, your annual Apple Music Replay is a fun way to see what tracks you listened to most.

Fun fact: Apple usually publicizes Apple Music Replay in December, but it’s actually updated weekly and available throughout the whole year! You can check in whenever you want to see how your year is shaping up.

We’ll show you how to find it and how to share your top music of the year to your friends and social media.

iPhone 17 Pro Max is Apple’s most advanced smartphone to date, featuring the powerful A19 Pro chip, an innovative vapor chamber cooling system and the best battery life ever in an iPhone. With its stunning 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display protected by Ceramic Shield 2 and revolutionary camera capabilities, this device is engineered for excellence. However, even the most sophisticated technology benefits from the right accessories to unlock its full potential — so check out our 10 must-have iPhone 17 Pro Max accessories below. 

Whether you’re a creative professional pushing the boundaries of mobile photography, a power user who demands all-day productivity, or simply someone who wants to protect and enhance their significant investment, the right accessories can transform your iPhone 17 Pro Max experience. From tough-as-nails screen protectors to wireless chargers that deliver blazing-fast 25W speeds, and from professional-grade camera lenses to ultra-slim power banks that slip into your pocket, today’s accessory ecosystem offers unprecedented versatility.

December 2, 1991: Apple ships its first public version of the QuickTime player, bringing video to Mac users running System 7.

Containing codecs for graphics, animation and video, QuickTime confirms Apple’s status as a leading multimedia tech company. The software also starts us on the path to playing video on our computers. This fundamental transformation of Macs into media machines eventually leads to iTunes Movies, YouTube and more.

Stop paying every month to store your files with this new deal on 8TB of lifetime cloud storage from FileLu. It’s secure, simple and private — and right now, it’s on sale for just $649.99 (a massive 59% off the usual price of $1,600).

Plus, if you don’t need that much storage, you can opt for lower tiers at similar discounts.

While Apple reportedly readies its first foldable iPhone for 2026, Samsung is aiming higher. On Tuesday, the company unveiled its first multifolding device, the aptly named Galaxy Z TriFold. 

“Through years of innovation in foldable form factors, Galaxy Z TriFold solves one of the mobile industry’s longest-standing challenges — delivering the perfect balance between portability, premium performance and productivity all in one device. Galaxy Z TriFold now expands the boundaries of what’s possible for mobile work, creativity and connection,” said Samsung’s mobile division CEO TM Roh.­

The innovative handset comes at an eye-watering price, though.

John Giannandrea, the man responsible for making Apple Intelligence what it is today, is out. It’s an expected change, as senior management reportedly didn’t think Giannandrea could provide the leadership needed to develop critical AI products.

Amar Subramanya, who Apple poached from Microsoft, will replace Giannandrea. Prior to his short stint at Microsoft, Subramanya spent many years at Google — most recently as head of engineering for the Gemini AI chatbot.

Love spending time outdoors or nurturing greenery? Consider Plantum, an AI-powered plant identifier that’s like a flora encyclopedia you can carry around in your pocket. This iOS plant identification app can identify more than 33,000 plant species and offer tips on plant care.

It comes in handy whether you’re walking through the great outdoors or managing your garden. And for a limited time, a lifetime subscription is on sale for just $14.97 with code GROW5 (regularly $59.99).

Plenty of Apple fans miss red iPhones, if responses to an X.com post Monday from Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak is anything to go by.

He talked about the company’s donations on World AIDS Day through customer purchases. Joswiak didn’t even mention hardware, but the commenters sure did. 

If you want to know the fastest and easiest way to send someone photos, videos, files and so, so much more, you should know how to AirDrop. There’s no need to send an iMessage — Apple’s slick AirDrop feature will immediately send and open the content on someone else’s iPhone (or other Apple device). There’s no middle step.

AirDrop works iPhone-to-iPhone, iPhone-to-Mac, iPhone-to-iPad, Vision Pro-to-Mac — any combination and permutation of two Apple devices. And, if your friend has a Google Pixel 10, you can AirDrop with them, too!

Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about how to take advantage of AirDrop.