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Apple Watch Ultra 4 might add better hypertension alerts

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A photo of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 used in a story about blood presure notification feature coming to a future version of the watch.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 may take cardiovascular tracking a step further.
Photo: Apple

Apple is reportedly developing an advanced high blood pressure notification feature for the Apple Watch. And the Apple Watch Ultra 4 might be the first to get the improved hypertension monitoring feature.

If true, it could turn the upcoming smartwatch into a serious cardiovascular health tool. Combined with a much-rumored hardware refresh, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 may be hard to resist for both new and existing users.

How Apple blocked $2.2 billion in App Store fraud in 2025

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App Store blocked $2.2 billion in fraudulent transactions
Apple showcased its 2025 efforts to keep the App Store safe for users and developers alike.
Image: Apple

Apple stopped more than $2.2 billion in potentially fraudulent App Store transactions last year and rejected over 2 million problematic app submissions, the company reported Wednesday. It’s all part of what it said is a sustained, multilayered effort to keep the App Store safe for both users and developers.

Get Microsoft Office 2024, plus courses that show you how to use it

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Man using excel on a Mac, used to illustrate a post about Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC deal with training bundle
Get Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC, plus all the training you need, for one low price.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

This deal lands you Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC, plus a full training bundle that will teach you how to use all the software in the popular productivity suite. And right now, you can get it all for just $143.99 — a 64% discount off the regular price of $409.99.

That means no monthly payments for a Microsoft software subscription. And no fumbling around trying to get the latest software to do what you want it to do.

What to expect from iOS 27 at WWDC26

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iOS 27: Customizable camera app and rebuilt Siri
iOS 27 could support an upgraded Camera app with a Siri camera mode plus an overall overhaul of the voice assistant.
Photo: Chat GPT/Cult of Mac

Apple WWDC26:Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off June 8, and all eyes are on iOS 27 — the software update that could define the iPhone experience for the next several years.

Given a steady drumbeat of reliable rumors, a surprisingly complete picture of the update has already emerged. Here’s what to expect in iOS 27 regarding the big Siri revamp and more. We’ll see if the keynote confirms it all.

Today in Apple history: AppleLink Personal Edition is the precursor to AOL

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With AppleLink Personal Edition, Cupertino tried its hand at bringing the internet to the masses.
With AppleLink Personal Edition, Cupertino tried its hand at bringing the internet to the masses.
Photo: Apple Confidential

May 20 Today in Apple history May 20, 1988: Apple launches AppleLink Personal Edition, a user-facing online service that lets customers connect using a Mac-style user interface.

Years before Apple will get serious about its internet efforts, AppleLink offered a glimpse of things to come. Unfortunately for Apple, it did not become quite the hit many hoped!

Power up Apple gear with new pocket-size Ugreen chargers

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Ugreen Nexode and MagFlow Air chargers
Ugreen's Nexode Air 65W mini chargers come in some fun colors.
Photo: Ugreen

A new lineup of ultra-compact charging accessories under Ugreen’s Nexode and MagFlow Air Edition banners comes tailor-made for iPhone, iPad, MacBook Air and AirPods users who want serious power in a minimal footprint, the company said Wednesday.

WhatsApp tests a smarter way to make iPhone messages disappear

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A photograph of WhatsApp on a smartphone used in a story about a new disappearing messages option.
The latest WhatsApp beta adds more control to disappearing messages on iPhone.
Photo: antonbe/Pixabay

WhatsApp is testing a new feature on iPhone where messages automatically disappear once you read them. The privacy-focused feature, called “After reading,” also gives users fine-tuned control over how long their texts remain visible after someone opens them.

The new feature builds upon WhatsApp’s existing disappearing messages functionality. Currently, users can choose to automatically delete sent messages after one day, seven days or 90 days.

Apple Sports expands to 90 more countries as World Cup nears

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Apple Sports makes its biggest expansion yet to be ready for the 2026 World Cup.
Just in time for the World Cup, the Apple Sports app is now available in more than 170 countries and regions.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple dramatically expanded the reach of its Apple Sports app, bringing the live scores and statistics service to more than 90 additional countries and regions ahead of this summer’s much-anticipated FIFA World Cup soccer tournament.

“The World Cup unites fans across the globe, making it the ideal moment to bring Apple Sports to even more users,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Music, Sports, Apple TV, and Beats.

How Apple uses faulty silicon to power fab new devices

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An Apple logo used in a story about Apple's chip binning strategy.
Instead of discarding faulty silicon, Apple repurposes it through chip binning.
Photo: Pexels/Pixabay

When Apple unveiled the MacBook Neo, the company’s most affordable laptop ever, the most obvious question was: How did Apple manufacture a sub-$600 with solid specs and a premium build?

The answer lies in how Apple turned defective iPhone and Mac chips into a business. Surprisingly, these faulty chips have powered some of the best Apple products over the years. The technology that enables this manufacturing miracle is called chip binning, and it allows Apple to turn defective processors into a virtual goldmine.

Steve Jobs in Exile is the essential telling of Jobs’ NeXT years [Book review] ★★★★★

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Steve Jobs in Exile with a stack of other Apple books: Small Fry, The Secret History of Mac Gaming and Apple: The First 50 Years★★★★★
Steve Jobs in Exile among other classic Apple books.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Steve Jobs in Exile by Geoffrey Cain serves up a comprehensive history of that other computer company Steve Jobs founded, NeXT.

The book, released Tuesday, starts in 1985 with Steve Jobs being forced out of Apple. It tells the tumultuous tale of what happens after Jobs poaches five Apple employees, they all gather in his bare living room, and ask, “Well … now what?” 

Starting fresh at just the right moment in history, they invented the computer architecture of the modern era with a powerful UNIX foundation, object-oriented programming and emerging web technologies. It’s an intensely frustrating tale of Jobs blowing chances at success left and right, letting perfection be the enemy of the good. 

Pair this book with Apple: The First 50 Years and you have the complete picture. It’s a shorter read that covers fascinating years where Steve grew up as a leader. 

How to get free(!) AirPods Pro 3 by signing up for an Apple Card

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New Apple Card users can earn back the cost of AirPods Pro 3
Get an Apple Card and earn free AirPods Pro 3! But here's what you need to know.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple kicked off a very generous signup incentive for new Apple Card customers, offering enough Bonus Daily Cash rewards to effectively cover the cost of a pair of AirPods Pro 3.

But it’s important to read the fine print. This promo isn’t a trick, but getting a free pair of earbuds takes a lot more effort than simply signing up for a credit card.

Apple Intelligence supercharges suite of new accessibility features

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VoiceOver with Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence makes VoiceOver more powerful than ever in helping users who are blind or have low vision explore their surroundings and onscreen images.
Photo: Apple

Apple previewed a sweeping set of accessibility upgrades Tuesday that weave Apple Intelligence into some of its most relied-upon features — VoiceOver, Magnifier, Voice Control and Accessibility Reader. We can expect to see all changes arrive later this year.

The company also announced auto-generated subtitles for uncaptioned video, a new eye-tracking wheelchair control feature for Vision Pro and the launch of an adaptive MagSafe accessory called Hikawa Grip & Stand for iPhone.

“Apple’s approach to accessibility is unlike any other,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. “Now, with Apple Intelligence, we are bringing powerful new capabilities into our accessibility features while maintaining our foundational commitment to privacy by design.”

Today in Apple history: The world’s first Apple Stores open their doors

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Apple Store
How the Tysons Corner, Virginia store appeared on day one.
Photo: Apple

May 19: Today in Apple history May 19, 2001: Apple revolutionizes the world of computer shopping when it opens its first two Apple Stores. Located in Tysons Corner, Virginia, and Glendale, California, the new outlets represent the culmination of a long-term dream for Cupertino.

It’s the start of something massive. Within two and a half decades, Apple will expand its retail operations to more than 500 stores in 27 countries and regions around the world. And they will become some of the most profitable retail outlets anywhere on a dollars-per-square-foot basis.

Get a solid-state wireless battery pack with built-in stand for just $59.99

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Two magnetic chargers placed against a book on a desk
Get this dual-output magnetic charger by Adam Elements while it's 20% off!
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Some power banks feel like a compromise until your phone finishes recharging: You plug in, put your iPhone down and wait. The Vionta B5 solid-state power bank by Adam Elements attaches magnetically to your iPhone, charges it wirelessly and flips out into a 360-degree adjustable stand so you can keep using your phone while it tops off.

It’s on sale for just $59.99 (MSRP $75) — and it fits in a pocket!

Apple might make Genmoji impossible to ignore in iOS 27

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A photo of Apple's Genmoji used to illustrate a story about upgrades reportedly coming to the Apple Intelligence feature.
Apple might soon bring AI-generated emoji suggestions directly to your iPhone's keyboard.
Photo: Apple

Apple might be planning to make Genmoji much more useful in iOS 27. The feature, which currently lets users create custom emoji, could soon suggest AI-generated emoji based on your personal photo library and the phrases you type most often.

That would solve one of the biggest problems with Genmoji: Most iPhone users forget it exists. Despite being genuinely fun and useful, Genmoji remains one of the most overlooked Apple Intelligence features.

But Apple might change that with iOS 27.

How iOS 27 could use AI to improve your writing

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iOS 27 could turn your iPhone into an AI writing assistant
The iPhone's AI-enabled Writing Tools could get an upgrade in iOS 27.
Image: Cult of Mac

iOS 27 will offer additional AI-powered grammar assistance, according to an unconfirmed report Monday. This will go beyond the writing tools already available through Apple Intelligence and will work in macOS and iPadOS, too.

In addition, Apple will also use AI to generate wallpapers for their devices and also make shortcuts easier to create in the Shortcuts app.

The iPhone and Mac security Apple spent 5 years building? AI broke it in 5 days.

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Photo of a MacBook running code
AI helped discover a vulnerability in Apple's state-of-the-art hardware security.
Photo: draconianimages/Pixabay

Anthropic’s Mythos AI helped indie hackers bypass Apple’s Memory Integrity Enforcement, a hardware security system used in the M5 processors that power the latest MacBook Pros.

Apple spent five years developing MIE, but the hacking team at Calif, a small security startup based in Palo Alto, California, said it used Mythos Preview to find bugs in the M5 chip — and built a working exploit in just five days.

Major makeover coming to iPhone Camera app [Cult of Mac podcast No. 20]

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Photo of a person using the iPhone Camera app, plus the words,
Stay focused! Big changes are reportedly coming to the Camera app in iOS 27.
Image: Joey Huang/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac

This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: A fresh iOS 27 rumor says the iPhone’s Camera app will get a serious upgrade. And it sounds like the best of both worlds — heavy customization if you want it, status quo if you don’t.

Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:

  • We also discuss the big changes coming to Siri in the near future (and why it’s a make-or-break moment for Apple AI).
  • Griffin walks Leander through a radical makeover of his iPhone‘s Home Screen.
  • Apple Watch Series 12 might be the upgrade you’ve been waiting for. And the lack of a rumored feature might be a big positive
  • Finally, Griffin reviews a very peculiar piece of exercise equipment.

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.

Today in Apple history: Apple shows off its amazing Fifth Avenue store in NYC

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apple-store-fifth-avenue-nyc-new-york
Apple's stunning Fifth Avenue store quickly becomes a New York landmark.
Photo: Simone Lovati/Flickr CC

May 18: Today in Apple history: Cupertino shows off its amazing Fifth Avenue Apple store May 18, 2006: The world — and, more specifically, the Apple-watching press — gets its first glimpse of the swanky new Fifth Avenue Apple Store in New York City.

Previously hidden behind a black plastic wrapper during development, that all changes a day before the store’s grand opening. Workers remove the covering to reveal a 32-foot glass cube adorned with a floating, white Apple logo. At 10 a.m., members of the press go on an exclusive tour of the new venue.

Apple’s AI-powered Siri might forget your chats by design

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Apple security
Will new Siri put privacy over convenience?
Photo: Apple

All signs point to Apple reinventing Siri as a conversational AI chatbot in iOS 27, complete with a standalone Siri app. With privacy in mind, the app will reportedly contain an option to automatically delete your Siri chats every 30 days.

This privacy-first approach should give Apple’s AI chatbot an edge over its competitors.

Rare deal drops Apple Magic Mouse to lowest price ever [Still going!]

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Apple Magic Mouse deal
There is a rare chance to save on an official Apple mouse for your Mac or iPad.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

The Apple Magic Mouse doesn’t go on sale very often, so don’t miss a rare deal that saves you 19% on the svelte input device for your Mac or iPad. This new Apple Magic Mouse deal drops the price to just $63.99.

The sale is on the USB-C version, not the older Lightning model, so it’s a great opportunity to upgrade.