Mobile menu toggle

Rare Mac prototype with Twiggy drive goes up for auction

By

Apple Macintosh prototype with 5.25-inch drive
Look closely. This Apple Macintosh prototype is different from the final version in a big way.

A prototype Apple Macintosh used in the development of MacWrite can be yours, if you can scratch up about $180,000. It’s almost unique because of a disk drive different from the one used when this revolutionary  computer shipped.

iPad Pro with 3D scanner likely to launch in first half of 2020

By

iPad Pro with Smart Keyboard
Apple wants to make iPad Pro an even better laptop replacement.
Photo: Apple

iPad Pro fans hoping for new models before the end of 2019 are likely out of luck.

Today’s launch of the new 16-inch MacBook Pro (and slight delay of the Mac Pro launch) are likely to be the last major Apple hardware announcements this year, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The often-reliable Apple analyst told investors today that new iPad Pros won’t come out until the first half of 2020 — but new features might make the wait worth it.

Bespoke briefcase is built for new 16-inch MacBook Pro

By

WaterField Designs Executive Leather Laptop Briefcase
WaterField Designs makes the case for a 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Photo: WaterField Designs

WaterField Designs, maker of bespoke bags for all your tech needs, was ready to pounce with a new hand-crafted briefcase when Apple unveiled the new 16-inch MacBook Pro today.

The Executive Leather Laptop Briefcase, available in black bison leather or chocolate brown cowhide, pairs a throwback look with contemporary internals.

Toolbox Pro brings incredible new tricks to Shortcuts

By

Toolbox pro
Who doesn’t love a good pro toolbox?
Photo: Susan Holt Simpson/Unsplash

Apple’s Shortcuts app is already a very powerful tool for automating stuff on your iPhone and iPad, and for creating your own push-button mini-apps. But what if it also could use the deep tools that Apple builds into iOS for app developers? What if Shortcuts could use Face ID, or analyze your photos using iOS’ crazy-powerful machine learning? Or if you could use the OCR to pull text out of photos, all inside Shortcuts?

Thats what Toolbox Pro does. It opens up many of Apple’s amazing under-the-hood technologies, and lets you use them just by dragging a new step into your Shortcuts workflows. Let’s see what it can do.

16-inch MacBook Pro wows writers in first hands-on reviews

By

16-inch-MacBook-Pro
The wait is over.
Photo: Apple

Apple finally unleashed its long-rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro on the world this morning, and according to some lucky people who got to play with it early, it was well worth the wait.

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro pulled out plenty of surprises beyond its bigger display. Early hands-on reviews rave about the scissor keyboard, the new audio system, upgraded thermal management and of course, its beastly processing power.

Here’s what reviewers are saying about the new machine.

AnyTrans 8 iPhone manager adds features, improves data transfer

By

AnyTrans 8
If you think transferring files is a headache, you should try AnyTrans 8.
Photo: iMobie AnyTrans

This iPhone manager post is presented by iMobie, maker of AnyTrans.

The AnyTrans iPhone manager app by iMobie helps users easily transfer, manage and back up content on their devices from one place. iMobie’s recent release of version 8, supported by iOS 13, cuts down on the hassle factor further by improving functionality in various ways and adding new features. If you wince at the thought of moving files to and from your iPhone using iTunes, you might find AnyTrans a user-friendly alternative.

Force websites to comply with macOS Catalina’s Safari Dark Mode

By

Dark mode for safari
Sometimes only Dark Mode will do.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

I stopped reading white text on a black background the moment I left school, and I’ve never liked it since. Especially on a screen, where the black expanse becomes a dark mirror that reflects everything in its sight. But even I prefer Dark Mode late at night, when I want to read without disturbing other people.

The trouble is, many websites don’t support Dark Mode. Everything else in Safari is rendered in tasteful black, but the page itself is still rendered in glaring white. Happily, on the Mac at least, there’s a way to fix it. Here’s how to force any website to support Safari Dark Mode on Mac.

16-inch MacBook Pro blows away your old laptop

By

16-inch MacBook Pro from 2019
The 16-inch MacBook Pro is wicked fast.
Photo: Apple

Benchmark tests confirm the MacBook Pro released today is as fast as the speedy macOS laptops introduced earlier this year. That’s good news for anyone who’s been nursing along an older MacBook, waiting for this new 16-inch model.

16-inch MacBook Pro surprises: No Wi-Fi 6, 720p webcam, 96W charger

By

16-MacBook-Pro
Notebook shipments could fall by as much as 36%.
Photo: Apple

There are some interesting surprises with the 16-inch MacBook Pro that you won’t find in Apple’s press release. So we’ve rounded up the big ones here so you don’t miss anything before buying.

Some of these things are nice surprises. But be warned that others will leave you a little disappointed.

AirPods Pro gold edition look fit for a king

By

Caviar
Caviar went with a minimalist mod on this one.
Photo: Caviar

Tired of looking like a dang peasant with your old AirPods?

The crazy luxury Apple-modders at Caviar have the perfect upgrade ready for you with their new AirPods Pro Gold Edition. After making some pretty wild mods to the original AirPods, including a $20,000 diamond version, Caviar’s latest masterpiece actually looks pretty classy, if you like that Saudi prince type look. And with a price tag of nearly $68K, you’d have to be a Saudi prince to afford them.

Here’s a closer angle:

Phil Schiller: Nope, Apple still isn’t planning to make a touchscreen Mac

By

Phil Schiller: Nope, Apple still isn’t planning to make a touchscreen Mac
Don't even think about swiping that screen!
Photo: Apple

Apple isn’t going to release a touchscreen Mac any time soon, says Phil Schiller, SVP of Marketing.

In a new interview, Schiller chimed in on the question on whether Apple might consider merging its mobile and desktop operating systems. The answer might disappoint fans of the Microsoft Surface.

How a Magic Keyboard made it into the new 16-inch MacBook Pro

By

When it comes to quiet keyboards, MacBook Pro lags only behind Pixelbook Go
Welcome home!
Photo: Apple

Apple’s newly unveiled 16-inch MacBook Pro ditches the controversial butterfly keyboard and brings back the scissor switch Magic Keyboard.

In a new interview, Apple marketing SVP Phil Schiller talked about redesigning Apple’s notebook keyboard. And whether or not the non-butterfly keyboard will make it to other Apple laptops anytime soon.

Apple unleashes 16-inch MacBook Pro we’ve all been waiting for

By

16-inch-MacBook-Pro
The wait is over.
Photo: Apple

The spectacular new 16-inch MacBook Pro we’ve all been waiting for has arrived. Apple today made “the world’s best pro notebook” official, with a larger Retina display and up to 80% faster performance.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro also introduces a brand-new Magic Keyboard that (hopefully) eliminates the problems some MacBook users suffered in recent years. And it’s on sale today!

These wireless earphones last 6 times longer than AirPods [Deals]

By

Kharbon IP67 Wireless Earbuds
These Bluetooth earbuds sport 150 hours of battery life, 100% water resistance, and they're a fraction the price of AirPods.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When it comes to wireless earbuds, AirPods immediately spring to mind. But they also fetch a top-shelf price tag, so we’re excited to share earphones that are competitive with Apple’s — and yours for a fraction of the price.

This iPhone keychain charger can give you three hours of extra battery life [Deals]

By

AtomXS 3+ Hour Emergency Keychain Chargers
Carry a convenient and powerful portable charger right on your keychain.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Power shortages never have good timing, and that’s as true of our personal devices as it is of city blocks. If you’re lucky, or planned ahead, you might find yourself able to plug in when the juice runs dry. But dead batteries have a habit of sneaking up on us, so there’s no such thing as being too prepared. You don’t leave home without your keys, so why should you walk outside without power?

Apple’s powerful Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR coming in December

By

President Trump will tour Apple's Mac Pro factory in Texas this week
Sheer power, but at what cost?
Photo: Apple

After unveiling it back in June, Apple today bumped back the launch date for the 2019 Mac Pro. This powerful pro-grade product will be available, alongside the high-end Pro Display XDR screen, sometime in December. Previously, it was scheduled to debut in the fall.

The computer boasts a 28-core processor and room for more than a terabyte of RAM. The Mac Pro starts at $5,999, while the Pro Display XDR begins at $4,999. In other words, you’d better hope you’ve got some generous relatives this holidays!

iPhone sales drive Apple’s biggest supplier to big profits

By

iPhone sales drive Apple’s biggest supplier to big profits
Apple accounts for an estimated half of all Foxconn revenue.
Photo: CBS

Apple contract supplier Foxconn has announced better-than-expected quarterly profits, rising 23%. Apple accounts for an estimated half of all Foxconn revenue, thanks largely to the iPhone.

Foxconn’s earnings offer another data point about rebounding iPhone sales. At worst, they should pacify any investors concerned about weak global demand for Apple’s smartphones.

Tim Cook might take Trump on tour of Texas Mac Pro factory

By

Apple shares suffer biggest decline since August
Trump and Cook have had a complex relationship since 2016.
Photo: White House

Apple CEO Tim Cook and President Donald Trump will reportedly tour facilities in Austin, Texas, where the company makes its Mac Pro desktops.

The trip would be part of Trump’s ongoing efforts to highlight U.S. manufacturing. Last month, Trump toured the Louis Vuitton factory in Alvarado, Texas.

Apple Watch’s next Activity challenge will get you exercising on Thanksgiving

By

Apple Watch's next Activity challenge will have exercising on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is coming.
Photo: Public Domain Pictures/Pixabay CC

Thanksgiving Day is a great time to sit around with family and chow down on delicious food. But you should remember to get your exercise in during the holiday. To offer a bit of added incentive, Apple issued a special Thanksgiving Day Challenge for Apple Watch owners.

Here’s how you can earn it.

Win this sweet accessory pack from the Cult of Mac Store [Giveaway]

By

Elago-giveaway
For iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Elago Treat your favorite Apple devices to some of the sweetest accessories money can buy. Our latest giveaway offers up an awesome Elago bundle for iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch.

Three lucky winners will receive a 3-in-1 Charging Hub, an AirPods Wrist Fit, a Premium Silicone case for iPhone 11 and the wonderful W3 stand for Apple Watch.

Enter today to ensure you don’t miss out!

Before the MacBook’s fall: The greatest laptops Apple ever built

By

Before the fall of MacBook: The greatest laptops Apple ever built
What's your favorite MacBook of all time?
Photo: Apple

The current MacBook Pro is the worst thing since unsliced bread — at least if you believe my colleague Charlie “glass is half empty” Sorrel. But while people might be happy to dump on Cupertino’s current laptop selection, Apple brought us some amazing laptops in its 40-plus year history.

Here are the inarguable top five Apple laptops of all time.