May 5, 2003: Just a week after launching the iTunes Music Store, Apple reaches an incredible milestone with more than 1 million songs sold.

Particularly notable is the fact that more than half the songs purchased are albums. This quickly dispels fears that selling tracks individually at 99 cents apiece will kill the record industry’s dominant format. In addition, more than half of the 200,000 songs initially available in the iTunes library get downloaded at least once.

“In less than one week we’ve broken every record and become the largest online music company in the world,” says Apple CEO Steve Jobs in a press release. “Apple has created the first complete solution for the digital music age — you can purchase your favorite music online at the iTunes Music Store, mix your favorite tracks into playlists with iTunes, and take your entire music collection with you everywhere with the super-slim new iPods.”

It’s a roaring success for Apple’s newest venture!

Apple’s push to modernize U.S. manufacturing took a visible step forward late last week at the inaugural Apple Manufacturing Academy Spring Forum in East Lansing, Michigan. It was the academy’s largest gathering to date, Apple said.

Hundreds of manufacturers, industry leaders and academics converged on Michigan State University’s campus to share how the program is already changing the way American businesses operate. That includes a push for artificial intelligence in supply chains and on factory floors.

“We created the Apple Manufacturing Academy with Michigan State because we wanted to bring advanced manufacturing techniques to American manufacturers,” said Priya Balasubramaniam, Apple’s vice president of product operations, in a press release Tuesday. “Our goal was to create real-world applications that help companies enhance their productivity and efficiency.”

The SpacePad keyboard case turns your iPad into a laptop-style setup with a trackpad, backlit keys and long battery life. Made by Tinymoose, it combines protection and productivity at a great price.

Right now, you can get this great iPad keyboard case for just $109.99 (MSRP $139.99).

Ready to switch from Android to iPhone? Before you make the move to an Apple device, you need to know the biggest problems you’ll face during the transition — and how to avoid them.

While some challenges are manageable, others are unavoidable. If you feel ready to jump to Apple’s ecosystem from Google land, here’s what you need to know.

iPhone 17 emerged as the world’s best-selling phone in Q1, 2026, according to the latest data from Counterpoint Research. iPhones also continued their dominance, securing the top three spots.

Besides the iPhones, several budget and mid-range Android phones made it to the list, with flagship models missing entirely.

Apple is considering using Intel and Samsung foundries to fabricate chips for its devices. The company seemingly held early talks with Intel about using its foundry services.

TSMC currently makes all of Apple’s chips on its cutting-edge nodes.

iOS 27 will bring a long-requested upgrade to the iPhone Apple Wallet application: the ability for users to create their own passes directly within the app, according to report published Monday. 

If true, this would significantly expand how iPhone owners manage everyday cards and tickets with the app.

Apple on Monday seeded the iOS 26.5 Release Candidate to beta testers, signaling that eager iPhone users should circle May 11 on their calendars. The major new feature is fully secure, encrypted messages when using RCS… though this will remain in beta even after iOS 26.5 launches.

Monday also brought the macOS Tahoe 26.5 Release Candidate, as well as equivalents for iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and more.

You can easily hide photos and videos on your iPhone to keep secret and/or illicit images out of your main Photos library. Hiding items from the camera roll makes sure nobody except you can see your embarrassing pictures, salacious nudes or old selfies with your ex.

Apple introduced the Hidden photo album years ago in iOS 8. But after Apple redesigned the Photos app in iOS 18, you can no longer find it at the bottom of the Albums tab — because the tab bar is gone. But in iOS 26, it’s back again!

Here’s what hiding photos does to your iPhone, how you can stash those incriminating or mortifying pix, and where to find them.

May 4, 2011: Reports circulate that Apple is negotiating with carriers to bring over-the-air updates to iOS, beginning with iOS 5.

Such a move would free iPhone owners from using iTunes to get updates for their devices. That means no more plugging an iPhone into a computer via USB to download the latest version of iOS.

Apple upgraded the iPad Air with a faster M4 processor this spring, and the speedy new version is already available at a discount. A deal knocks 13% off the cost of a brand-new 11-inch M4 iPad Air, lowering the midrange model to a very affordable price: $519.99. It’s never been cheaper!  

Maybe you need one to finish out the school year. The tablet is also great for anyone needing a light-duty productivity and entertainment computer. If you want a bigger Apple tablet, you can snag a deal on the new 13-inch iPad Air at 6% off.

Apple introduced its latest Pride Collection Monday. It includes a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Sport Loop, a matching watch face and complementary iPhone and iPad wallpapers. The iPhone giant timed the release to celebrate Pride Month in June and LGBTQ+ communities year-round.

The reception online so far seems positive, if not jubilant. 

“Omg they did such a good job with them for once,” one user wrote.

May 3, 1984: Apple marks the all-important first 100 days of Mac sales, signaling whether the product launch is a hit with customers.

The results outstrip even Apple co-founder Steve Jobs‘ most optimistic targets. Unfortunately, not everything is as positive as it seems following the successful Mac launch.

Airfare is getting more expensive, and those prices won’t improve during peak travel times. With one of the best AI flight scanners on the market, and exclusive prenegotiated travel deals, OneAir’s Elite plan stands apart from the pack. It’s an AI travel app that can help you save on flights, hotels and rental cars for life.

And thanks to a limited-time sale, you can get a lifetime membership to OneAir Elite for just $99.99. That’s an 87% discount off the regular price of $790.

A very sad day has come, and a beloved relative has passed away. And it seems Apple is making the experience worse because it refuses to unlock the deceased person’s iPhone!

It’s not that Apple refuses to — it literally cannot. And it all comes down to the way encryption works.

Fortunately, there’s a simple way to prevent this problem. It just takes some preparation.

May 2, 1995: Apple enters the wearables space with its first watch. However, the first Apple watch is a timepiece with no fitness-tracking tech, no on-screen notifications and a whole lot of 1990s styling.

The device comes two decades before wearables actually will become a thing. A regular wristwatch, the freebie gadget is available via a special mail-in offer to Mac OS upgraders.

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: A slightly suspect rumor indicates Apple pulled the plug completely on the Vision Pro headset. Can that really be true? What does the future hold for the Vision Pro, visionOS and Apple’s rumored smart glasses?

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

• The latest rumor about the 20th anniversary iPhone leaves Leander sputtering. But actually, it looks pretty cool.
• Apple reportedly plans to inject tons of AI into the iPhone’s camera in iOS 27. We could see interesting photo-editing tools as well as Visual Intelligence baked right into the Camera app.
• And finally, Griffin gives us his first impressions of adjustable dumbbells from Feierdun. Nobody could see this coming!

Listen to this week’s episode of the Cult of Mac podcast 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 version, embedded below.

After shelling out well over $3,499 for a Vision Pro, I hope you have some money left over to buy some of the must-have accessories that make Apple’s headset even better. 

The experience out of the box is great, but to start, you’ll probably want a case to put your Vision Pro in. If you want to use the headset for browsing the web, messaging, writing or any amount of work, you’ll want a keyboard and trackpad. And for games, you’ll need a controller.

If you don’t have pockets (or the pockets you have prove insufficient), you’ll want a battery holster for walking around. And if you’re walking around, you’ll definitely want a protective cover for that expensive curved piece of glass. 

Here are all the accessories I use to make the most of my Vision Pro. 

Apple no longer offers the M4 Mac mini with 256GB of storage at a $599 price. Instead, the base model now comes with 512GB of storage and a higher $799 price tag.

Here’s why.

ChatPlayground AI gives you easy access to more than 40 of the top AI models across 25 apps, all in one place — and all for one low price. It includes big names like ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek, Llama, Perplexity and Gemini, and it lets you send one prompt to multiple AIs simultaneously.

That means you can compare results to find the right AI tool for the job at hand, without jumping from one AI app to another. If you’re a heavy AI user, it will save you time as well as money. Normally $619, a lifetime subscription to ChatPlayground AI’s Unlimited plan is on sale now for only $74.97.

The Apple Passwords app makes it easier than ever to save login details for your apps, start using passkeys and create shared groups.

The time of using the same password on all your internet accounts is over. Apple’s password manager is free, syncs everywhere (even with Windows PCs) and is incredibly easy to use. It creates strong passwords and automatically fills them in, so you never need to.

Here’s how it works.

I’ve always noticed a certain breed of Apple enthusiast for whom less is definitively not more. While minimalist setups have their ascetic charm, the rigs below operate on an entirely different philosophy: more computers, more screens, more audio gear — more of everything. These are the top 10 maximalist setups.

They’re the ones that made commenters ask if the owner works at “the money factory making commerce,” for example, or declare, “OP has done it: they’ve finally hit the limit of too much screen space.”

May 1, 2008: The iTunes Store takes a gigantic step toward cinematic relevancy, selling new movies on the day of their DVD releases for the very first time.

“We’re thrilled to bring iTunes Store customers new films for purchase day-and-date with the DVD release,” says Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes, in a press release. “We think movie fans will love being able to buy their favorites from major and independent studios.”

Movies out that week include Cloverfield, Juno, Alvin and the Chipmunks and American Gangster.

Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed during Thursday’s quarterly earnings call that the company intends to apply for refunds on tariffs it paid under trade measures that the Supreme Court recently ruled unconstitutional. And has a clear plan for where that money will go: straight into U.S. manufacturing.

Apple reported another bumper quarter, with record revenue and strong iPhone sales. Amid all the numbers, Apple CFO Kevan Parekh revealed that the iPhone 17 series is now the company’s most popular lineup ever.

Strong demand for the iPhone 17 is helping Apple post record revenue and profits every quarter since its launch.