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Today in Apple history: Rainbow Apple logo gets a modern overhaul

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Photo of exterior of Apple store, showing the company's large, white
On this day in 1999, Apple ditched its rainbow logo for something more subtle.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

August 27: Today in Apple history: Rainbow Apple logo gets a modern overhaul August 27, 1999: Apple Computer swaps out the striped, multicolored logo the company had used since 1977 for a new single-color version. The evolution of the iconic Apple logo from rainbow to monochrome shocks many longtime fans.

However, it is part of a sustained, company-wide overhaul led by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The makeover includes new products, the “Think Different” ad campaign and, eventually, the removal of the word “Computer” from the company’s name.

Get 6 handy Mac apps for just $29.99, with lifetime updates and no recurring fees

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A MacBook in a dark room, used to promote The Secure Software Lifetime Mac Bundle featuring CleanTwin
Get six Mac apps for a single, heavily discounted payment. Most run on iPhone and other Apple devices, too!
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The Secure Software Lifetime Mac Bundle featuring CleanTwin packs six native apps for photo cleanup, storage monitoring, network diagnostics and more.

They provide a great way to clean up and fine-tune your Mac (and most of them work on your other Apple devices, too). Right now, you can grab a lifetime subscription to all six apps for just $29.99, down from $179.

Samsung’s slim new portable SSDs hit 8TB and 4,000MBps

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Samsung P9 portable SSD delivers seriously fast storage for your MacBook Pro
The Samsung P9 portable SSD delivers blazing fast performance to your MacBook Pro.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung just took its portable storage to a new speed tier with its latest external SSDs. On Wednesday, the company unveiled the P9 and P7, a new generation of portable solid-state drives equipped with USB4 connectivity.

The flagship P9 is aimed at professionals who need to move huge amounts of data quickly, while the P7 offers a more affordable option for everyday storage. Both are designed to work with a broad range of devices, including the latest Macs and high-end iPads.

Apple Maps ads go live on iPhone, and some users aren’t happy

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Apple labels advertisements with a small blue “Ad” badge in Maps search results.
Apple labels advertisements with a small blue “Ad” badge in Maps search results.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple Maps ads finally started showing up for iPhone and iPad owners in the United States and Canada this week, and some users are angry — and even threatening to switch to Google Maps.

Sponsored listings now appear inside the Maps app’s search experience, front and center, tagged with a discreet label. But some iPhone owners feel disappointed and even betrayed, saying Apple is prioritizing ad dollars over a pristine user experience. 

Why an M5 Ultra Mac Studio won’t replace your AI subscription anytime soon

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Mac Studio with M5 Ultra
The M5 Ultra Mac Studio starts at $5,499 and targets developers running AI coding models locally.
Photo: Apple

Apple pitches its new M5 Ultra Mac Studio as a way to end your AI subscription bill for good. But the math tells a different story.

“Mac Studio lets users run massive models entirely on device with complete privacy — without counting tokens or worrying about rising cloud costs,” Apple said in a press release announcing the computer’s surprise launch Tuesday.

While Apple’s marketing frames the Mac Studio as a way to run AI coding models locally instead of paying for an AI subscription every month, a pricing breakdown shows the payback stretching into years, not months.

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs and Bill Gates talk ‘future of the PC’

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Photo illustration of the cover of Fortune Magazine from August 1991 that contained a rare joint interview with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.
In a rare joint interview, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates discussed computing and traded barbs.
Photo: Cult of Mac (stock image from Reviewsapex)

August 26: Today in Apple historyAugust 26, 1991: In their first joint interview, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates trade barbs and debate “the future of the PC” in Fortune magazine.

The spirited discussion marks 10 years since the first IBM PC shipped. The piece also looks at what the future holds for both men — described as the former “boy wonders of computing, now thirtysomething.”

M5 vs. M5 Pro vs. M5 Max vs. M5 Ultra: The differences that matter

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M5 chip comparison
Apple filled out the M5 processor family. Which is right for your Mac?
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

With the launch of the M5 Ultra in the new Mac Studio, Apple’s M5 chip lineup is finally complete. The M5 is the entry-level chip for most Mac users, while the M5 Pro, Max and Ultra progressively add more CPU and GPU cores and unified memory.

Wondering how each differs from one another, and which is the best option for you? Here’s a detailed comparison of the M5 chip family.

Running macOS on iPhone 14 Pro Max is possible, with a catch

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A picture showing an iPhone running macOS used in a story about the same.
A jailbreak workaround brings macOS on iPhone 14 Pro Max to life inside a virtual machine.
Photo: @onejailbreak_/X

Jailbreak developers have found a way to run macOS on the iPhone 14 Pro Max. But it works as a virtual machine, not a full swap of iOS. The trick piggybacks on an existing iPad project that was never built with phones in mind.

The update comes from Virtual Mac, an open-source tool that lets some iPads run full macOS. Version 1.2.1 of the project extends the package to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. And, as expected, support is thin, and the trade-offs are real.

Apple’s speedy M6 chip may be dethroned sooner than you expect

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M6 performance is more than twice as fast as M1
The powerful M6 will soon be built into a range of new Mac models. But the M7 isn't far behind.
Image: Apple/TSMC/Cult of Mac

Apple launched the powerful new M6 processor in a fresh version of the Mac mini on Tuesday. It’s a significant boost over its predecessor, and is expected to soon become part of a range of products — MacBooks, iMacs and more.

But the M7 could already be closer than you realize.

Leaked photos purportedly show Apple’s custom AI servers

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A picture allegedly showing Apple's servers used for Private Cloud Compute used in a story about the same.
Leaked photos of Apple’s AI servers show rows of custom silicon inside a compact rack chassis.
Photo: Ronald Mannak/X

Leaked photos purportedly showing Apple’s AI servers reveal a chassis packed tight with custom silicon.

The unverified photos were posted Sunday by X user @hsuchingpo, an account with a good track record of Apple hardware leaks. The leaker said the Apple servers “most likely” power Private Cloud Compute, Apple’s privacy-first answer to cloud AI.

Today in Apple history: Meet the ‘world-saving’ PowerBook 5300

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Photo of the Apple PowerBook 5300 laptop on a white background
The top-spec PowerBook 5300 remains the priciest (and most famous) laptop in Apple history.
Photo: Serged/Wikimedia

Aug25August 25, 1995: Apple releases the PowerBook 5300, the Mac laptop that will save the world from alien invaders in the 1996 blockbuster movie Independence Day.

The computer will make many more big-screen appearances, too. See some of the laptop’s most high-profile Hollywood cameos below.

Mac mini gets huge performance boost with M6 and M5 Pro chips

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Photo of M6 Mac mini with a monitor
Apple just juiced up the Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro chips.
Photo: Apple

Apple just gave its smallest Mac an outsized performance upgrade. The company on Tuesday launched new Mac mini versions powered by either the all-new M6 chip or the more powerful M5 Pro, bringing substantially faster performance and a major focus on local AI workloads to the tiny desktop.

“Whether it’s being used as a home computer, powering a professional studio, or as an always-on agentic device, it’s the little Mac that can do it all,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s chief hardware officer. “Today, we’re taking this versatility even further.”

Next Mac mini refresh could land within days [Update: It’s here!]

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M4 Pro Mac mini
M5 refresh incoming for Mac mini.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Update: As predicted, Apple released a Mac mini upgraded with M6 and M5 Pro chips on Tuesday, saying the tiny desktop computer “delivers up to 4x faster AI performance, up to 2x faster graphics and storage, along with enhanced connectivity.”


Apple’s next-gen Mac mini may debut in the coming days, possibly even ahead of Apple’s September iPhone event, according to an unconfirmed report published on Monday. The miniature desktop could debut with an Apple M5 or an M6 processor.  

The new model should do well — Mac mini demand has exploded in recent months due to the AI boom.

Mac Studio upgraded with super-fast M5 Max and M5 Ultra processors

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M5 Max and M5 Ultra make Mac Studio even more powerful
Mac Studio just got a substantial performance boost.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple just gave its most powerful desktop Mac a major performance boost. The company on Tuesday introduced an upgraded Mac Studio powered by the M5 Max processor and the all-new M5 Ultra, promising substantially faster AI, graphics and CPU performance in the same compact design.

Mac Studio is the ultimate desktop for on-device AI and the world’s most demanding pro workflows, relied on by users for its tremendous performance and extensive pro connectivity, all in a quiet, compact design that sits right on your desk — and today, we’re pushing the boundaries even further,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s chief hardware officer, in a press release.

Skip Apple’s price hike and grab a 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro for just $459.99

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Two silver M1 iPad Pros on a black background, used to illustrated a deal on refurbished models
When it comes to Apple tablets, it's go big or go home!
Photo: Apple

Don’t let Apple’s recent price hikes get you down. Grab a refurbished 12.9-inch iPad Pro with an M1 chip, Liquid Retina XDR display, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for just $459.99.

These Grade B refurbs might not be cosmetically perfect, but their low price tags are a sight for sore eyes. They’re available in silver or space gray (and you can even bump up the storage for a little more dough).

AirTags 4-pack drops back to lowest price we’ve seen

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AirTag deal
Keep track off all your stuff with an AirTag or four... at a deal!
Photo: ognev/Unsplash

Been waiting for a big fat discount to stock up on Apple’s second-gen AirTags? Your wait is over. This new deal drops the price of a four-pack of Apple’s upgraded Bluetooth trackers to its lowest price yet: just $79.99.

That’s a 19% discount off the regular price of $99 (and the lowest we’ve ever seen for the second-gen model). If you only want a single AirTag, you can still pick up one for just $24 (a sweet 17% discount).

These convenient accessories don’t go on sale very often, so don’t procrastinate. There’s no telling how long this deal will last.

iPhone price increase looks certain, but how high will Apple go?

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A photo showing an iPhone in a person's hand used in a story about iPhone price increase.
An iPhone price increase could hit the iPhone 18 Pro lineup next month.
Photo: Pixabay

Apple could be preparing an iPhone price increase for this fall. The move would follow Google and Samsung, both of which raised prices on their flagship phones this year.

The iPhone faces the same memory and chip shortages that pushed Apple to jack up Mac and iPad prices back in June. And while an iPhone price increase now looks all but certain, Apple appears to be trying to keep the hike modest.

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs resigns as Apple CEO

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Photo of Steve Jobs presenting an Apple product, used to illustrate a story about him resigning as Apple CEO
Steve Jobs' health wouldn't allow him to continue as CEO.
Photo: Ben Stanfield/Flickr CC

August 24: Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs resigns as Apple CEO August 24, 2011: With his health worsening, a cancer-stricken Steve Jobs resigns from his role leading Apple. Tim Cook assumes the role of Apple’s seventh CEO.

“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know,” Jobs writes in his retirement letter to the Apple board. “Unfortunately that day has come.”

Apple home hub sparks major Apple Store shake-up

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The Apple Home Hub is rumored for a possible fall launch
The Apple Home Hub could get its own dedicated display area in Apple Stores this fall.
Photo: Ed Hardy/ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Apple is clearing shelf space for a new era of smart home gear. The company is reportedly preparing a significant overhaul of its retail stores this fall. The changes point to more than a routine refresh. And at the center of it all sits the rumored Apple home hub — its first smart display built for the home.

The retail work targets the “Avenues,” the perimeter walls in Apple’s newer stores. These walls showcase HomePod, Apple TV, AirPods, and Beats gear. Store-layout teams are reportedly rearranging these sections and adding new accessory bays. The scale of the project suggests Apple needs room for something significant.

Never lose your billfold again: This upgraded Find My wallet tracker costs just $31.99

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A tracking card along with other important items on top of off-white clothing.
A single Keysmart SmartCard now tracks both iPhone and Android devices—get your now while it's on sale!
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The third-generation KeySmart SmartCard is an ultra-slim wallet tracker compatible with Apple’s Find My network and Google Find Hub. Just slide it into a credit card slot, and you’ve got a foolproof way to find your wallet anytime you misplace it.

For a limited time, the KeySmart SmartCard is on sale for just $31.99 (regularly $39.99).

Next iMac refresh may bring more power but few other changes

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2026 iMac could arrive this fall with M6 chip
An M6 iMac could arrive soon with a faster chip and revamped color options.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple will reportedly give the iMac an M6 upgrade later this year. As part of this, it also plans to launch the all-in-one desktop in new color options.

Just be aware, besides a faster chip and new colors, Apple supposedly won’t make any other changes to the iMac.

Today in Apple history: iPad takes to the skies with United Airlines

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Photo of United Airlines pilots with iPads in an airplane cockpit as part of the company's new
If only they had known about the iPad Air...
Photo: United Airlines

23 Today in Apple history: United Airlines will issue iPads to pilots August 23, 2011: United Airlines says it will hand out 11,000 iPads to its pilots as part of its “paperless flight deck” filled with essential data. It’s the largest rollout yet of Apple tablets as a replacement for the weighty flight bags traditionally carried by aircrews.

Going paperless saves around 16 million sheets of paper each year, the equivalent of 1,900 trees not cut down. Even better, the weight difference between the 1.5-pound iPad and the 40-pound flight bag saves an estimated 326,000 gallons of jet fuel per year!

Master Claude AI for just $15 with this lifetime training deal

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Photo of a man presenting the topic, automation, in front of people in a meeting room.
Get certified with a professional e-degree in Claude.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Looking for Claude AI training? The Claude AI Professional E-Degree consists of four courses, with more than 100 lectures, practical projects, automation training, integrations and AI workflow skills.

This hands-on educational bundle will teach you how to make the most of Anthropic’s popular AI — it’s on sale for just $14.97 (regularly $159).

Why you should never put a wet iPhone in a bowl of rice

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Image of a phone in the rain for an article on why you should never put a wet iPhone in dry rice
A wet iPhone isn't a crisis ... if you handle things right.
Photo: Anderson Martins/Pexels/Cult of Mac

Conventional wisdom says that an iPhone that’s been dropped in water should immediately go into a bowl of dry rice to absorb the excess moisture. Turns out that’s rubbish advice for dealing with a wet iPhone.

Worse yet: It’s actively bad for your device. Here’s what to do instead.