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Apple eases App Store review rules for developers

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App Store Connect logo on a gradient background
Apple loosens App Store rules to give developers more flexibility
Photo: Apple/Rajesh Pandey

Apple is making two developer-focused changes to the App Store. Developers can now upload additional documentation and assets while their app is under review.

Secondly, developers can create up to 70 custom pages — double the previous limit.

Track your online orders the easy way — in your iPhone’s Wallet app

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Order Tracking in Apple Wallet: “See What’s Coming”
Be on the lookout for your packages.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

You can use the built-in iPhone Wallet app for some basic order tracking with classic Apple ease of use. No need to fiddle with finding and copying tracking numbers — your orders will appear there automatically. 

If you order something from an online store that doesn’t automatically integrate with the Wallet app, there’s a solution for that as well. If your device supports Apple Intelligence, it’ll scan your email inbox and add in all those Amazon orders, too. 

Here’s how the iPhone’s order-tracking feature works. 

Today in Apple history: Apple fires Scott Forstall after Apple Maps’ awful launch

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Forstall
The disastrous Apple Maps showed Scott Forstall the way out of Cupertino.
Photo: Apple

October 29: Today in Apple history: Scott Forstall gets forced out of Apple after disastrous Apple Maps launch October 29, 2012: Scott Forstall, Apple’s senior vice president of iOS software, is fired from the company after the disastrous Apple Maps launch. After Forstall is ousted, Apple divvies up the roles he previously handled among other high-level execs.

Design chief Jony Ive assumes leadership of the Human Interface team. Craig Federighi becomes head of iOS software. Eddy Cue takes control of Maps and Siri. And Bob Mansfield “unretires” to lead a new technology group.

Build and deploy unlimited websites for just $34 a year

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Photo of a woman using Ionos web hosting provider app on a laptop
Get three years of solid web hosting at a steep discount.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If your to-do list reads “launch, iterate, don’t crash,” this web hosting provider checks all three. The Ionos Web Hosting Plus Plan lets you host unlimited sites with 99.99% uptime, redundant storage, daily backups, Wildcard SSL and other advanced features.

And right now, new users can get a three-year Ionos subscription on sale for just $99.99 (MSRP $288).

Mind behind Slow Horses brings thriller Down Cemetery Road [Now streaming!]

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Down Cemetery Road season 1
Watch the trailer below.
Photo: Apple TV+

As Slow Horses season 5 wraps up with its sixth episode Wednesday, Apple TV cues up a second thriller, Down Cemetery Road, in collaboration with novelist Mick Herron. You can watch its first trailer below, or jump right into the first two episodes. The new series stars Academy Award winner Emma Thompson and Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson. It’s based on Herron’s “Zöe Boehm” book series.

Reviews of Down Cemetery Road so far seem thrilled with the show. “If you like Slow Horses, you’ll love conspiracy thriller Down Cemetery Road,” raves Time magazine. It “hits the sweet spot of thrills and odd-couple comedy,” adds AV Club. Critics call Thompson’s performance “magnificent” and “superb,” among other superlatives.

Wavlink Thunderbolt 5 dock blazes through data transfers and brings big laptop power [Review] ★★★★☆

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Wavlink Thunderbolt 5 dock★★★★☆
Wavlink Thunderbolt 5 dock
Photo:

The Wavlink Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station (WL-UTD58) heralds the company’s ambitious entry into next-generation connectivity. It offers users impressive charging power and access to remarkable data-transfer speeds in complex computer setups. I tried it in my dual 5K-display M4 MacBook Pro workstation — and found it excellent. Not perfect, but excellent. 

Weird AirPods Pro 3 glitch proves unbearable at 30,000 feet

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A photo illustration of AirPods Pro 3 floating in the air with a bright light emanating from behind them, over rugged mountains with an airplane wing in the background
AirPods Pro 3 might have an altitude problem.
Photo illustration Cult of Mac

Imagine being on a long plane flight and one of your new AirPods Pro 3 earbuds keeps whistling in your ear. Infuriating, eh? That’s what some users of Apple’s latest wireless earbuds say happens while flying.

It certainly doesn’t happen to every user. But there’s no easy solution for those experiencing the problem. Still, there are a few things you’ll need to be ready in case you’re unlucky.

Apple could bring iPhone-style water resistance to iPad mini

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iPad mini 6 with control center open
Do you want a water-resistant iPad?
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Apple could bring the iPhone’s water-resistant design to the iPad. The company has internally tested an iPad mini casing with an IP rating.

Unlike iPhones, iPads typically aren’t exposed to the same environmental challenges. So, Apple never made iPads with an IP rating, but that could eventually change.

Price drop: Generate images, text, logos and more with lifetime access to this AI platform

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AI tools for business: AI MagicX
Fulfill all your AI needs with a single suite of AI tools, for a low one-time payment.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

With the wealth of AI tools available, the problem isn’t finding one that will get the job done. The real issue is finding the best fit for your budget. You might be able to find independent AI tools like ChatGPT or Dall-E for generating copy, creating logos, building stories and more, but AI MagicX does it all under one subscription, and you only have to pay for it once. That makes it a perfect suite of AI tools for business.

This robust AI platform includes tools for designing logos, generating art, creating chatbots, writing articles and creating stories. There’s even a document editor. And for a limited time, you can get a lifetime subscription on sale for just $60 with code SAVE40 (regularly $972).

Here’s when every iPad gets a beautiful OLED screen

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OLED iPad mini concept
Add iPad mini to the list of Apple devices getting an OLED screen.
Image: Cult of Mac/Apple/Paul Inkles

The next-generation iPad mini will be upgraded with a gorgeous OLED display, according to a generally reliable source of Apple insider info. It’s apparently part of a drive that will eventually see an OLED screen coming to the iPad Air, too. But there’s bad news about the budget iPad.

The move comes as the oft-predicted OLED MacBook Pro moves closer to release.

iOS 26.1 and macOS Tahoe 26.1 take their last big step before release

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iOS 26.1 release candidate
The iOS 26.1 release candidate means the final version is almost out.
Image: Cult of Mac

Apple seeded the release candidates of iOS 26.1 and macOS Tahoe 26.1 to developers and the public on Tuesday. This is usually the final step before new versions launch — which should happen next week. The highlight is a new setting that makes the controversial Liquid Glass UI less transparent.

Release candidates for iPadOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1 and visionOS 26.1 also went out to on Tuesday.

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs’ yacht launches — without Steve

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A photo of Steve Jobs' yacht,
French industrial architect Philippe Starck designed Steve Jobs' $118 million yacht.
Photo: photostephan.eu/Wikimedia CC

October 28: Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs' yacht launches -- without Steve October 28, 2012: More than a year after Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ death, the luxury yacht he commissioned is shown off for the first time, launched from a shipyard in North Holland. Called Venus, the distinctive-looking yacht was one of the big personal projects Jobs pursued in his final years.

As Jobs told biographer Walter Isaacson, “I have to keep going on it. If I don’t, it’s an admission that I’m about to die.”

Sadly, Jobs never lived to see the finished vessel.

iPhone 20 could make buttons a thing of the past

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AI image of a smartphone with a finger pressing it, used to illustrate a story about how iPhone 20 might replace buttons with haptics
The world might be ready for a buttonless iPhone.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

After years of speculation and false starts, Apple’s ambitious plan to eliminate mechanical buttons from the iPhone may finally become reality in 2027 with the 20th anniversary handset, according to a new report Tuesday. This may be a bit of an adjustment for button lovers, but haptics have their benefits. 

Take the fast track to TikTok stardom

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Man sitting in front of a work desk smiling at his phone as he learns how to make TikTok videos go viral using TikTokWizard Pro
Go viral the smart with TikTokWizard.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Want to know how to go viral on TikTok? Start with a lifetime subscription TikTokWizard, which uses AI coaching, trend tracking, scripts and analytics to help you post smarter and push you into viral territory.

You bring the camera; this service brings the clarity. And, for a limited time, you can get a TikTokWizard Pro Plan lifetime subscription for just $59.99.

Hands-on with new ChatGPT Atlas browser: Safari is falling behind fast

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AI image of a MacBook Pro with the ChatGPT Atlas browser on its screen, in a dimly lit room with UV lights.
ChatGPT Atlas and other AI-enhanced web browsers might eat Safari's lunch.
AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

Going hands-on with the new ChatGPT Atlas browser for Mac makes it crystal clear that Safari risks becoming irrelevant. Our browsing habits are evolving fast, and Apple’s browser just isn’t keeping up

For years, Safari has been my go-to browser on the Mac due to its speed and power efficiency. But with Apple falling behind in the artificial intelligence wars, and a new breed of AI-boosted browsers coming on strong, that could change. I went hands-on with ChatGPT Atlas to see what the future of internet browsing looks like.

Apple’s next budget iPhone may ditch the notch for Dynamic Island

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iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16e laying side by side, showing the difference in the display.
Dynamic Island may trickle down to the iPhone 17e next year.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple’s next budget iPhone — the iPhone 17e — will supposedly feature a Dynamic Island. The iPhone 16e currently sports a notch, the only handset in the company’s lineup to do so. 

Unfortunately, this could be the iPhone 17e’s only display upgrade, as Apple does not plan to update the panel to a 120Hz one.

Train for multiple IT certifications with this $40 bundle

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Get IT-certified in 2024 for less than $40 with this CompTIA and IT certification course bundle.
Achieve your resolutions by gaining CompTIA and IT certification training with this $40 bundle.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you resolved to dive into an information technology career in 2025, congratulations! The outlook is great for tech jobs this year and in the decade to come. You can keep the momentum going with IT certification courses that teach you the necessary skills to succeed.

With hundreds of hours of up-to-date training on multiple CompTIA and IT certification exams, this affordable training pack is an invaluable resource. And it’s priced down to only $39.97 (regularly $2,748).

AI jokers take Vision Pro’s new headband to wild extremes

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AI-generated image of a samurai armored warrior in the style of an Apple Vision Pro strap
This goes way beyond a headset strap.
AI image: @jmdagdelen/X.com

The internet is going crazy over the Apple Vision Pro’s new Dual Knit Band, with AI users creating increasingly fantastical mutant versions of the distinctive-looking strap.

The craze started with people turning the white knit headband into a head-covering hat, but kicked into overdrive after X.com user John Dagdelen posted an image Sunday of a samurai warrior dressed head-to-toe in Vision Pro-inspired armor.

“We are not thinking big enough,” Dagdelen said in his X.com post. Dagdelen, founder of the Fluid operating system for VR headsets, who said he used ChatGPT to create the Vision Pro samurai image.

His AI creation clearly inspired others to think bigger … or at least weirder.

A wild array of AI creations followed, including some that animated Dagdelen’s samurai. The jokesters envisioned all sorts of bizarre designs and uses, from Star Wars characters to high-fashion gowns and handbags. There’s even an automotive design where the lenses make up a car’s front grill and headlights.

“There are some pretty creative ones,” Dagdelen told Cult of Mac.

These 4 pro Mac apps could soon launch on iPad

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These 4 pro Mac apps could soon launch on iPad
Pixelmator Pro is one of the Mac apps that could could hit iPad.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Those clamoring for more professional-grade iPad applications could soon get a quartet of them. An analyst found evidence on Monday that Pixelmator Pro and three more Mac apps for graphics professionals are getting ported to iPadOS.

If true, the move should help quiet the critics who complain that the iPad Pro isn’t very “pro.”

Today in Apple history: Dell PCs overtake Macs in education market

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eMac
At the turn of the century, some observers accused Steve Jobs of failing one of Apple's most popular markets.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

October 27: Today in Apple history: Dell PCs overtake Macs in education market October 27, 1999: Dell Computer overtakes Apple in the educational market, stealing Cupertino’s crown as the top company selling computers to U.S. schools. Dell’s cheap Windows PCs make sense for schools looking to buy computers without breaking the bank.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs, still in the process of rebuilding Apple after its near-collapse in the 1990s, faces heavy criticism for ignoring one of the company’s strongest markets.

M5 iPad Pro now cheaper – first-ever sale hits

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iPad Pro M5: Graphics performance
Get the brand-new M5 iPad Pro at below the usual cost
Photo: Apple

The M5 iPad Pro just launched last week and a deal means shoppers can already buy it at a discount. Amazon knocked $50 off the cost of both the 13-inch and 11-inch versions.

This is Apple’s most powerful tablet thanks to Apple’s newest M5 processor, and don’t overlook the gorgeous OLED display and Mac-like operation thanks to iPadOS 26.

EarFun Air Pro 4+ earbuds bring hi-res sound for under $100

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EarFun Air Pro 4+ earbuds
With dual drivers and Hi-Res Audio certification, you can count on good sound.
Photo: EarFun

New EarFun Air Pro 4+ noise-canceling earbuds are the world’s first Hi-Res certified dual-driver wireless buds with adaptive noise cancellation under $100, EarFun said Monday. So they offer Apple users a potentially compelling alternative to AirPods Pro at less than half the price.

And a launch discount makes the price even harder to resist. See below. 

This credit card-size AirTag alternative fits perfectly in your wallet

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Side photo shows slim KeySmart SmartCard wallet tracker held between two fingers.
Slide this slim tracker into your wallet or onto your ID badge and feel the Find My love.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

While the AirTag is a handy tool to keep track of things like your car keys or luggage, there are things that Apple’s tracking tag isn’t designed to keep tabs on, such as a wallet or your office card key. That’s precisely why the KeySmart SmartCard wallet tracker makes a terrific addition to your tech arsenal.

Like the AirTag, the SmartCard works seamlessly with Apple’s Find My app. Unlike the bulkier AirTag, the SmartCard’s discreet form factor ensures it can be tucked away easily. The tracker’s ultra-slim, credit-card-like design makes it incredibly easy to fit into tight wallet slots, small compartments or the narrowest of pockets. Plus, it’s rechargeable!

For a limited time, you can get a KeySmart SmartCard for just $34.99.

Today in Apple history: iPod Photo brings color display to music machine

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Photo of the iPod Photo device
The iPod Photo brought us one step closer to the iPhone.
Photo: Apple

October 26: Today in Apple history: iPod Photo launch brings color display to music machine October 26, 2004: Apple debuts the iPod Photo, a device capable of putting not just 15,000 songs in your pocket, but also 25,000 photographs. The new device “lets you take your entire music and photo library with you wherever you go,” Apple says.

It is the first iPod to offer a color screen and the ability to display digital images and album cover art. The iPod Photo represents a big step forward in the functionality of Apple’s iconic music player.