The Apple-1 in all its glory! Photo: Auction Team Breker
April 11, 1976: Apple releases its first computer, the Apple-1.
Designed and hand-built by Steve Wozniak, the computers are sold wholesale by “Steven” Jobs. To finance their manufacturing, Wozniak sells his HP-65 calculator for $500, while Jobs sells his Volkswagen van.
Plane loads of iPhones rushed to the U.S. recently. Image: Cult of Mac/Google Gemini
New details emerged Thursday about Apple’s mad scramble to import millions of iPhones ahead of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The company reportedly rushed 600 tons of iPhones into the United States from India last week. And, while there has been no word of a similar pre-tariff rush of iPhone imports from China, it seems unlikely Apple would overlook such an obvious move.
All this means there are surely even more iPhones, Macs, etc., stockpiled to meet U.S. consumer demand without price hikes — at least in the short term.
★★★★★
This is what you need to bring high-speed wired internet access to your MacBook. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Plugable USBC-E5000 5 Gbps USB-C Ethernet Adapter is as good as having an Ethernet port on your MacBook. Connect it to your cable, plug it into your Mac, and you no longer need to worry about the vagaries of Wi-Fi — you have a solid and secure wired internet connection.
Even better, it supports very fast internet connections for those with hefty connectivity demands.
I tested the affordable USB-C to Ethernet adapter in my home office and on the road to be sure it’s worth the money.
Steve Jobs was distraught at being removed as general manager of the Mac division. Photo: iFixit
April 10, 1985: During a fateful meeting, Apple CEO John Sculley threatens to resign unless the company’s board of directors removes Steve Jobs as executive VP and general manager of the Macintosh division.
Sculley’s threat triggers a series of events that ultimately will result in Jobs’ exit. The marathon board meeting — which continues for several hours the next day — leads to Jobs losing his operating role within the company. However, the Apple board allows him to stay on as chairman. Things won’t exactly play out like that.
Apple's Vitals app noticed the repeatedly elevated heart rate that sent her to the doctor, resulting in the alarming diagnosis. Photo: Apple
We hear plenty of stories about Apple Watch saving lives, but they rarely if ever involve cancer — until now. According to news from down under, Apple Watch’s persistent alerts about an elevated heart rate helped save a New Zealand psychiatrist’s life, leading to a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia just hours before potential organ failure.
Get a mini Skullcandy wireless speaker at 12% off with free shipping! Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
The Skullcandy Terrain Mini Bluetooth speaker is compact, rugged, waterproof and, most importantly, it sounds really good.
This isn’t some tinny little speaker that fades into the background. The Terrain Mini delivers bold, immersive sound with a clarity that surprises you the moment you hit play. It’s perfect for playlists on the go, whether that means jazz at sunset, bassy beats when the party’s jumping or sing-alongs around a bonfire.
Run DeepSeek or Meta's Llama locally on your Mac! Graphics: Rajesh Pandey/CultOfMac
ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Apple Intelligence are powerful, but they all share one major drawback — they need constant access to the internet to work. If you value privacy and want better performance, running a large language model like DeepSeek, Google’s Gemma or Meta’s Llama locally on your Mac is a great alternative.
Think it sounds complicated? It’s easier than you think. With the right tools, you can run DeepSeek or any other popular LLM locally on your Mac with minimal effort.
Broke your iPhone 16e already? You can now order replacement parts directly from Apple. Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Apple now sells iPhone 16e repair parts for DIYers and enthusiasts. You can purchase replacement parts through Apple’s online Self Service Repair Store in the US and Europe.
The spare parts go on sale within 1.5 months of the iPhone 16e hitting retail stores.
It can be difficult getting a picture of teens without an iPhone. Photo: cotton bro studio/pexels
Android just can’t catch a break from U.S. teens. A survey found that 88% of that age group own an iPhone — a figure that’s held fairly steady for years.
What’s not positive news for Apple is how very few teens watch the Apple TV+ streaming service.
Connect to a Windows 11 PC from Remote Desktop on your Mac. Screenshot: Apple/Microsoft
How can you run Microsoft Windows on a Mac these days? Fifteen years ago, the answer was simple: Just install Windows using Boot Camp. Today, you have loads of other options — even though Boot Camp itself does not work on Macs with Apple silicon processors.
You can use a virtual machine, pay to access Windows in the cloud from a web browser, use special software to get access to a couple of essential apps or simply Remote Desktop in to a PC. Which path forward is right for you? I’ll run through them all.
Murderbot is a lot lighter than you might expect. Photo: Apple TV+
Murderbot is not a horror series. It’s sci-fi action comedy, no matter what the name implies — a new trailer for the upcoming Apple TV+ series makes that clear. And the trailer also shows that the plot sticks close to Martha Wells’ award-winning novels.
Watch the trailer for Murderbot season 1 that debuts in May to see for yourself:
According to one supplier, some iPhone assembly could move out of China, and maybe even to the US. Photo: Steve Jurvetson/Flickr CC
Apple supplier Luxshare started discussing potential manufacturing relocations due to tariffs with customers, including a possible production shift to the United States, according to a new report. It cited comments made by company chairwoman Wang Laichun during an analyst call Wednesday. The Chinese manufacturer assembles iPhones and AirPods for the tech giant.
“If there is a commercial guarantee and we are able to conduct a good evaluation, we do not rule out having some products being localized to meet the needs of the US market,” Wang stated, adding that the company would carefully weigh “long-term development and safety considerations” before making such moves.
The good-looking and symmetrical setup features a pair of Asus displays nicely mounted on arms. Photo: [email protected]
Few things take a computer setup up a few notches more than a good monitor mount — especially when it features dual arms positioning dual displays well off the desk. Today’s M4 Mac mini setup enjoys a pair of solidly affordable 4K Asus displays mounted on a Huanuo Dual Monitor Stand with two highly adjustable arms for optimal positioning.
The iPod was Apple's most successful product yet. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
April 9, 2007: Apple sells its 100 millionth iPod. Coming just five-and-a-half years after the portable music player went on sale, the landmark event confirms the iPod as Apple’s most popular product of all time.
Until the iPhone arrives a couple months later, that is!
Demand causes Mac shipments to keep going up and up. Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
Mac shipments continue a steady upward trend, increasing 14.1% year over year during the first quarter of 2025, according to a market research firm. While three PC makers sell more units than Apple, none can match Cupertino’s annual growth rate.
But the analysts note that tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on computers brought into the United States will have “a direct inflationary impact” later in the year, potentially cooling demand for computers of all types.
This 24,000mAh beast can power up multiple devices at once. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
HyperGear’s Power Brick is a beefy, 24,000mAh power bank with an AC outlet that can fully charge most laptops, juice up your iPhone several times and/or keep multiple devices going through a full day off the grid.
And it does all that without requiring a bulky backpack or a dedicated suitcase. At about the size of a small hardcover book (and weighing just 25 ounces), it slips easily into a work bag, carry-on or glove compartment.
And right now, you can grab this monster at a monstrous discount. Get HyperGear’s Power Brick 24000mAh AC Laptop Power Bank for just $114.99. That’s a 22% discount off the regular price of $149.
Don't mean to burst your bubble, but an American-made iPhone isn't in the cards. AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac
A top goal of President Donald Trump’s hefty tariffs on essentially all imports is to force companies to move their production to the United States. That includes bringing iPhone assembly to America. The problem is, there are huge roadblocks that make that goal virtually impossible.
In broad terms, America doesn’t have anywhere close to the production capacity, or sufficient numbers of workers interested in low-paying factory jobs, to produce an all-American iPhone along with everything else Trump wants made in the U.S. Also missing from the equation: customers thrilled about paying much higher costs for products made in the United States.
The result is shaping up to be years of economic difficulties for Americans.
Will it finally happen? Image: Instagram/Cult of Mac
Meta may finally launch an Instagram app for the iPad. Reportedly, the company plans to launch a dedicated iPadOS app to capitalize on the current situation surrounding TikTok.
The move could help further drive Instagram adoption among iPhone and iPad users.
Get a deal on the unique travel adapter that suits you, either a PlugBug or a ButterFly Photo: Twelve South/Cult of Mac
Frequent travelers can take their choice of deals on two travel adapters from Twelve South, each with a unique feature to set them apart from competitors. Both are now available at steep discounts.
What the Clash? is an Apple Arcade exclusive. Image: Apple
Apple Arcade continues to grow next month with an exciting lineup of five new titles. A quirky multiplayer game from award-winning developer Triband — What the Clash? — headlines the bunch.
The subscription gaming service also adds With My Buddy, Lego Friends Heartlake Rush+, Words of Wonders: Search+ and Sumi Sumi: Matching Puzzle+. You can read more about them below.
John Sculley goes from pushing Pepsi to running Apple. Photo: Web Summit/Flickr CC
April 8, 1983:John Sculley, former president of PepsiCo, takes charge as Apple’s third CEO.
Despite a total lack of experience selling tech products, Sculley is lured to Apple by Steve Jobs himself. The Apple co-founder famously pitched the Pepsi exec with the line, “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?”
iPhone shopping picked up over the weekend on fears of tariff-induced price increases. Photo: Apple
Employees at Apple Stores across the country reported throngs of iPhone buyers over the weekend, according to a new report. Larger-than-average crowds look like a response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs on goods imported from China and other countries — and the specter of rising iPhone prices. In a happy surprise, the tariffs might actually drive iPhone sales before they potentially jack up prices.
Most iPhones come from China, which is up against a 54% tariff on exports to the United States. Most experts agree that rising costs will be passed on to consumers.
★★★★☆
EZQuest WorldTravel travel adapter can keep five devices juiced up on seven continents. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The EZQuest WorldTravel 65W GaN 5 Port with PD Wall Charger can keep your notebook, phone, tablet and smartwatch powered up in more than 200 countries. It packs four USB-C ports plus a USB-A one for compatibility with a range of electronics.
Of course, the travel adapter includes retractable power prongs for Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and most of Asia. And EZQuest built in some welcome safety features.
I tested the 65W power plug adapter out, and it’ll certainly go on my next international trip. Here’s why.
Get a six-pack of these weighted and magnetic cord organizer blocks for a fraction of the normal price! Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
A proper cable management solution can transform a messy desk into a stunning setup. Function101’s innovative Cable Blocks are weighted, magnetic cord holders that can bring order to cable chaos.
Cult of Mac publisher Leander Kahney called them his “favorite cord management system” in his Cable Blocks review. And now, Cult of Mac Deals offers a great discount on them. You can pick up a Cable Blocks six-pack on sale for just $29.99 (regularly $39). Each one can hold a single cable in place — and they even stick to each other if you want to keep all your chargers neatly aligned.
Throw on some background sounds without any fuss. Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
If you like working, sleeping, relaxing or meditating to ambient music — and you own an iPhone — you’re in luck. You can now play background tunes from Control Center on your iPhone. The feature is ad-free and doesn’t require a subscription to Apple Music.
If you usually put on a lo-fi music stream on YouTube, you should give this new feature a shot instead. You don’t need to keep the YouTube app open, and annoying ads won’t interrupt you.
Here’s how the iPhone’s ambient music feature works.