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The aliens have landed — and so have high ratings for Invasion

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Invasion season 3
Shamier Anderson stars in “Invasion” season 3, a hit on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Invasion season 3 is the most popular show on Apple TV+ and among the most watched series on any streaming service, according to a company that tracks ratings. New episodes resumed last week for the epic alien onslaught.

Speaking of sci-fi, the Apple TV+ adaptation of Foundation also found a large audience last week.

AirPods Pro 3 rumors: Heart rate monitoring, design changes and more

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AirPods Pro 3 rumors
Here's everything to expect from Apple's premium earbuds.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple looks poised to unveil its highly anticipated AirPods Pro 3 at its Awe Dropping event on September 9, marking the first major update to the premium noise-canceling earbuds since 2022. Multiple sources suggest the third-generation model will bring significant hardware upgrades alongside Apple’s continued software feature rollouts. Check out all the AirPods Pro 3 rumors below.

UK still wants global backdoor into iPhone users’ data

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UK iCloud back door
The U.K. wants to peer into everyone’s iCloud data.
Image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

The United Kingdom government is reportedly still demanding a secret backdoor into encrypted Apple iCloud accounts, despite the Trump administration stating recently that the demand had been dropped.

Apple’s attempt to block the U.K. Home Office efforts to violate the privacy of Americans is headed for court.

Vote to make this Lego iMac G3 a reality

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Lego iMac G3
The Lego iMac G3 could someday sit on your shelf.
Photo: Lego

A proposed Lego set for Apple’s iconic iMac G3 needs your vote. If enough people support the suggestion, it could be turned into a real Lego product.

The set is an homage to the original desktop iMac, with translucent Bondi Blue parts, and even the controversial mouse.

Get a sneak peek at new Powerbeats Fit earbuds

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Powerbeats Fit from teaser video
Here’s the best look available of Powerbeats Fit.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple dropped a teaser video for Powerbeats Fit, wireless earbuds the company has not yet formally announced, on Thursday. Details remain sketchy, but video of athletes wearing the in-ear audio devices revealed a bit about the hardware.

The video promises that Powerbeats Fit will be “fit for every move” when they launch this fall.

How to make Siri silence alarms on other Apple devices

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Control iPhone alarm sound using Siri
Stop an irritating alarm in another room with a simple Siri command.
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Say you’re in the kitchen and you hear an alarm going off on the iPad in your living room. Rather than walking across the house to deactivate it, you can use Siri on your iPhone or HomePod to shut off the alarm. This method also works with timers (and a variety of devices, too).

Here’s how to do a handy trick that everyone should know.

Great budget-friendly, noise-canceling headphones just got even cheaper

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EarFun Tune Pro over-ear headphones deal
Getting these EarFun Tune Pro cans for about $56 is a steal.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

EarFun Tune Pro noise-canceling headphones knocked my socks off when they came out, rivaling pricier sets like Beats Studio Pro. And now an EarFun Tune Pro headphones deal at Amazon puts them at just $55.99. That’s 38% off the regular price of $89.99.

They’re affordable even at their regular price. But at an incredibly low price of $56, they’re a steal — and worthy of being your audio daily drivers, not just backups.

Why I love this leather notebook case [Review] ★★★★★

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Casemade Leather Laptop Case★★★★★
The Casemade Leather Laptop Case combines elegant design with a protective wool interior.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Love doesn’t have to be complicated. I can fall for a product just because it’s simply perfect, even though what it does isn’t very complex. That’s what happened with the new Casemade Leather Laptop Case.

It’s made of top-quality cowhide leather, with a wool interior… including a pocket. It zippers closed and cushions the computer without unnecessary bulk.

I’ve been happily carrying my notebook in this case because it’s simply beautiful and designed exactly right for what it does.

Turn iPad mini into ultraportable notebook with this detachable keyboard case

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Zagg Slim Book mini
Your iPad mini can be more than a tablet with Zagg Slim Book mini.
Photo: Zagg

The just-launched Zagg Slim Book mini acts as a protective case for the latest iPad mini, but that’s only the start. It also adds a detachable keyboard that makes the tablet ready for serious productivity.

“With the Slim Book mini, we’ve taken the performance and typing experience people expect from a full-size laptop and packed it into a sleek, portable keyboard built specifically for the iPad mini,” said Brad Bell, SVP of global marketing for Zagg.

Colorful event logo might hint at new iPhone or Apple Watch features

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An image of the
Does the invitation to the Apple event hint at what the company will announce?
Graphic: Apple/Cult of Mac

The graphic in the invitation to Apple’s upcoming “Awe dropping” product launch event looks like a thermal image, and that set off furious speculation Tuesday about whether it’s a hint about a feature coming to one of the many products expected to debut that day.

Could it refer to a way to cool the iPhone 17 Pro? Or a new Apple Watch sensor? Something else?

Apple sometimes uses its event invitations to hint about what it will announce, so it’s possible the company is clueing us in.

New rechargeable Chipolo Loop and Card trackers use Find My

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Chipolo Loop and Card tracker updated
Chipolo Loop tracker with Find My gets a rechargeable battery and double the Bluetooth range.
Photo: Chipolo

Two new Bluetooth trackers offer big improvements over the company’s previous models while maintaining compatibility with Apple’s Find My network, Chipolo said Wednesday. The Loop and Card trackers, both priced at $39, add rechargeable batteries and double their previous Blueooth range to 400 feet.

Inexpensive iPhone game controller also connects to Switch and PC

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GameSir X5s Wireless Mobile Game Controller
The GameSir X5s Wireless Mobile Game Controller offers tri-mode connectivity.
Graphic: GameSir

Wrap the brand-new GameSir X5s around your iPhone to play high-end games. But that’s only the start — the controller also works with iPad, Nintendo Switch, PC and Android.

It’s lightweight with a portable design but includes Hall Effect sticks and triggers, a gyroscope and rumble motors.

Even better, the GameSir X5s costs under $50.

Save hundreds with this Microsoft Office + Adobe Acrobat bundle

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Adobe Acrobat Classic PDF reader/editor and Microsoft Office Professional 2021 bundle
Get all these leading productivity apps in one bundle.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Everyone knows that when you need to get a serious report or presentation done, you’ll be reaching for Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Office. With this Microsoft Office Professional and Adobe Acrobat Classic bundle, you get a lifetime license to Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and five more Office apps, plus a three-year subscription to Adobe’s powerful PDF reader and editor.

Right now, it’s on sale for just $89.99 — an 83% discount off the MSRP of $543.99.

Combine emoji to make your own fun creations in iOS 26

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Mix and Match Your Own
I highly recommend saxophone + duck.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

You can combine two or more emoji into your own custom creation in iOS 26 using Apple’s upgraded Genmoji tool. In my testing, it’s great at adding sunglasses and cowboy hats to other emoji. It’s also pretty good at converting ordinary yellow-face emoji into cats, frogs, skulls, etc.

You can easily make a pumpkin cowboy, keyboard cat, pregnant Santa, banana phone or Easter Island statue snowman … the possibilities are endless. Well, not entirely endless — as fun as it would be to play geopolitics by combining national flags, all the flag emoji are restricted.

The best Apple Intelligence feature gets even more fun in iOS 26. Here’s how to use Genmoji‘s fun new feature.

Apple invites the world to ‘Awe dropping’ event

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Apple September Event: Awe dropping
All we officially know about Apple’s September event is that it’ll be “Awe dropping.”
Image: Apple

Invitations went out Tuesday for a much-anticipated Apple press event on September 9. The theme is “Awe dropping,” and the unveiling of the iPhone 17 series should be the highlight.

Also likely on the agenda are the launch of Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Avoid getting hacked while charging with these data-blocking USB-C cables

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Photo of Plugable data-blocker USB-C cable
Protect your computer from juice jacking with a data-blocking cable.
Photo: Plugable

Accessory maker Plugable just launched a collection of USB-C data-blocker charging cables. The cables transfer only power, not data, and therefore prevent “juice jacking” attacks at public charging ports.

The cables handle up to 240W and come in variety of lengths. Plus, a launch deal drops the prices!

Apple Watch Series 11 rumors: Blood pressure detection, 5G connectivity and more

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Apple Watch Series 11 rumors
Apple Watch Series 11 might bring a rush of new features. Or maybe not.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

With the launch of Apple Watch Series 11 likely just weeks away, rumors about what to expect remain surprisingly rare. Still, we know a fair amount about what’s coming, based on watchOS 26 and Apple’s usual moves. Additionally, some rumored Apple Watch Ultra 3 features might arrive on the regular model, too.

So, will Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 bring only minor upgrades, as in the last few years? Or will 2025 be the year Apple recaptures the buzz surrounding its smartwatch, adding exciting new features?

Here’s what we know about Apple Watch Series 11 so far.

New tool lets you easily transfer music from Spotify to Apple Music

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Apple Music migration tool
The Apple Music migration tool makes it easy to transfer music from services like Spotify to Apple Music.
Photo: Apple/Spotify/Rajesh Pandey

Apple significantly expanded availability of its Apple Music migration tool, bringing the service to the United States and eight other major markets this week after months of limited testing. It helps users transfer their music libraries from competing streaming services like Spotify.

Breakthrough audio and cooling tech could optimize Apple’s smart glasses

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xMEMS Sycamore microspeaker in AR glasses
The xMEMS Sycamore microspeakers sit in the stems of AR glasses near the ear.
Image: xMEMS Labs

As rumors continue to swirl about Apple’s potential entry into the smart glasses market, xMEMS Labs plans to unveil innovations that could address some of the biggest challenges facing next-generation wearable devices, the company said Tuesday. At September events it will roll out new xMEMS Labs smart glasses prototypes featuring ultra-thin speakers and active cooling technology that promise to make AI-powered eyewear more comfortable and practical for everyday use.

Elon Musk sues Apple and OpenAI over ‘unfair competition’

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Elon Musk vs. Tim Cook
Elon Musk and Tim Cook appear headed for court.
Image: ChatGPT

Elon Musk’s xAI filed a lawsuit on Monday against Apple and OpenAI claiming they’re conspiring to stifle competition in artificial intelligence apps.

This comes two weeks after Musk took to social media to complain that the No. 1 Top Free App in the iPhone App Store at the time was OpenAI’s ChatGPT, not the Grok app from xAI, an AI startup that the billionaire owns.

iPhone 17 rumors: A preview of Apple’s next basic handset

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iPhone 17 rumors
Stay informed ahead of the release of the basic iPhone 17.
Image: Cult of Mac

The iPhone 17 is less than a month away, and early rumors are already stirring excitement. It may be Apple’s basic model, but it’s still expected to get a better, larger screen, enhanced selfie camera, as well as a faster processor and a new range of color options.

Those interested in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max should read our roundup of rumors describing those premium models. And we have an iPhone 17 Air rumor roundup, too. Plus one for the budget iPhone 17e.

iPhone 17 Air could revive Apple’s bumper case

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iPhone 17 Air render
Would you use a bumper case with the iPhone 17 Air?
Photo: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Apple internally tested launching an iPhone 4-style bumper case for the upcoming iPhone 17 Air, according to an unconfirmed report. The slim case would have covered the phone’s edges, leaving the back exposed.

Such a thin case would highlight the iPhone 17 Air’s super-thin design. However, it’s unclear whether Apple will launch the case.