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First MacBook Neo deal makes Apple’s budget laptop even more of a steal

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Apple promotional image of MacBook Neo laptop in four colors, with the words,
The best laptop around just got even better.
Image: Cult of Mac

The first deal we’ve seen on the MacBook Neo chops $10 off the price of Apple’s entry-level laptop.

That makes the computer — already an outrageous deal — even more attractive than ever. With its combination of power, performance and sleek Apple design, it’s an unbeatable laptop for everyday tasks.

John Ternus promises Apple will ‘change the world once again’

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A photo of future Apple CEO John Ternus taken from the iPhone Air unveiling in September 2025.
John Ternus says we we can expect big breakthroughs from Apple in the future.
Photo: Apple

John Ternus, the Apple exec slated to become CEO in September, said Tuesday that the company is “about to change the world once again.”

Ternus, currently Apple’s senior vice president of 
hardware engineering, made the pledge to Apple employees during an all-hands meeting. During the talk, Ternus and retiring Apple CEO Tim Cook promised to work together to bring great new products and services to market.

How to invite Android and Windows users to a FaceTime call

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FaceTime Android and Windows graphic, showing the FaceTime app on iPhone and two people on a FaceTime call with their laptop
FaceTime everyone, not just your best iPhone friends.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

You can FaceTime with Android and Windows friends, too — you don’t need to leave them out of the loop. You need to jump through some extra hoops, naturally, but you can video chat with your whole family and friend group. 

While there’s no FaceTime app for Android or Windows, if you have an iPhone, you can initiate a group call by creating a link. Others can join the call from their web browser. It will be end-to-end encrypted, just like regular FaceTime calls, for maximum privacy. 

Here’s how it works. 

Trump pays tribute to Tim Cook

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President Donald Trump shakes hands with Apple CEO Tim Cook before announcing a $100 billion investment in the U.S., Wednesday, August 6, 2025, in the Oval Office.
President Donald Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook shake hands in the White House.
Photo: The White House/Wikimedia Commons

President Donald J. Trump paid tribute to outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday. In a post on Truth Social, the president’s social network, Trump praised Cook in his signature style, calling Cook “Tim Apple” and claiming he called to “kiss my ass.”

Trump applauded Cook’s leadership at Apple, saying he did a better job than Apple co-founder Steve Jobs himself would have. And, as is his way, Trump littered the post with capital letters, hyperbole and a fair amount of not-so-humble brags.

Get Microsoft Office 2024 for Mac or PC for $100

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Woman using her laptop with one of Microsoft Office 2024 apps installed.
Save on essential Microsoft software for Mac or PC.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Not a fan of monthly fees for software like Microsoft 365? This deal lands you a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home & Business 2024 for Mac or PC.

It comes with all the Microsoft programs you know and love. And it’s on sale for a limited time. So instead of paying $249.99, you can get a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home & Business 2024 for $99.97.

Today in Apple history: Rumors fly that Canon might buy Apple

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Image of the old Apple Inc. rainbow logo atop American cash money.
Apple was up for sale in the 1990s.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

April 21: Today in Apple history: Rumors fly that Canon might buy Apple April 21, 1995: Rumors swirl that Japanese camera company Canon might take over Apple in either a partial or complete acquisition.

Speculation grows about a possible deal after Apple reveals its latest earnings, which show big improvement but still fall far short of Wall Street’s expectations.

Watch Paul McCartney’s delightful behind-the-scenes video of Apple Park concert

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Paul McCartney video at Apple Park
Tim Cook shakes hands with Paul McCartney before the show at Apple Park.
Photo: Paul McCartney

If you’ve been green with envy watching those grainy fan clips of Paul McCartney lighting up Apple Park last month for the iPhone giant’s 50th anniversary, Sir Paul just gave the rest of us a proper consolation prize. McCartney posted a polished, three-minute, behind-the-scenes film to his YouTube channel Tuesday, offering an intimate look at his celebrated March 31 performance.

Soundcore Space 2 headphones: Supreme sound, comfort and features [Review] ★★★★★

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Soundcore Space 2 headphones review★★★★★
I loved Soundcore's Space One Pro headphones from 2024, and the new set improves on them.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Soundcore, Anker Innovations’ audio brand, quietly built a reputation as the go-to name for people who want serious headphone performance without the flagship price tag. Its Space One headphones earned a following as one of the best budget ANC options on the market, and that set the bar for their successor quite high. The new Soundcore Space 2, which launched at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona before going on sale Tuesday, clears that bar with room to spare.

Is Tim Cook Apple’s best CEO ever?

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Apple silicon will power future Mac desktops and laptops
Tim Cook's had a remarkable run as Apple CEO, with perhaps only one single misstep in 15 years at the top.
Photo: Apple

Is Tim Cook Apple’s best CEO? No, that title belongs to Steve Jobs — but Cook definitely comes in a very close second.

In a remarkable 15 years at the helm of Apple, Cook oversaw extraordinary growth, released a string of innovative products, and instituted important internal changes.

He performed almost flawlessly, and, to my mind, has only done one thing wrong.

This $40 tool is your secret weapon for landing a job faster

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AI illustration of a happy, confident man using FirstResume AI job search tool on a MacBook.
Why stress over the job hunt when AI can make it easy?
Illustration: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

AI job search tool FirstResume automates resumes, cover letters, tracking and interview prep so job hunting takes hours, not entire evenings.

FirstResume, currently on sale for just $39.99 (MSRP $899), treats the job hunt the way modern software treats everything else — as a system that should be automated.

Read Tim Cook’s thank-you letter to the Apple community

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Apple execs Deirdre O'Brien and Tim Cook greet fans at the opening of Apple Ginza in 2025.
As Tim Cook steps down as CEO, he wrote a letter of thanks to Apple users.
Photo: Apple

Outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote a heartfelt letter of thanks to Apple users.

As Cook gets ready to step down as CEO on September 1, 2026, he expressed his gratitude to the Apple community for making his work meaningful.

It’s a nice, sincere note of appreciation — and typically humble. You can read the full text of Cook’s letter below.

Tim Cook steps down as Apple CEO, John Ternus steps in

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Apple names John Ternus CEO as Tim Cook becomes executive chairman
Apple just named John Ternus as its next CEO, with Tim Cook becoming executive chairman.
Photo: Apple

Apple announced a sweeping leadership transition on Monday, naming longtime executive John Ternus as its next chief executive officer in September. Current CEO Tim Cook will move into a new role as executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors at that time.

“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company,” said Cook in a statement. “I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world.”

Save your iPhone by unlocking with an old passcode

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Forgot iPhone Passcode graphic, showing the Forgot Passcode screen and an image of a man looking at his phone confused
Apple offers an easy path forward if you forget your iPhone's new passcode.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

If you forgot your new iPhone passcode, you can reset it with your old one up to three days later. This can save you hours of trying to remember the new passcode, or worse, resetting your phone from a backup.

You just have to tap Forgot Passcode? on the Lock Screen after you enter it several incorrect times.

Keep reading for a detailed walkthrough. And don’t worry — if you change your passcode intentionally to keep someone out, you can instantly expire your old one.

Apple might skimp on iPhone 18 features to cut costs

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Apple might skimp on iPhone 18 features
iPhone 18, unlike iPhone 17 (pictured), might hue closer in specs to the budget model, iPhone 18e.
Photo: Apple

If you were looking forward to iPhone 18 as a meaningful upgrade of last year’s model, new rumors out of China might give you pause. Apple reportedly plans to cut costs on the standard iPhone 18 by paring back several of its manufacturing processes.

That would bring the iPhone 18 significantly closer in specs to the budget-oriented iPhone 18e, according to a prominent Weibo leaker.

Today in Apple history: Gizmodo tears down a lost iPhone 4 prototype

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Gizmodo buys iPhone 4 prototype
The iPhone 4 prototype bought by Gizmodo came disguised as an iPhone 3GS. But a teardown showed big differences inside.
Photo: Gizmodo

April 20: Today in Apple history: Gizmodo tears down lost iPhone 4 prototype April 20, 2010: A day after the most high-profile iPhone leak in history, tech news site Gizmodo dissects a prototype iPhone 4, then publishes the teardown — showing the world exactly what’s inside the soon-to-be-released device.

The iPhone 4 prototype, accidentally left in a bar by 27-year-old Apple software engineer Gray Powell, quickly becomes the biggest story in the tech world. And that’s where the trouble begins.

Folding iPhone could include feature many assumed was off the table

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The folding iPhone Ultra could include a feature many though it would lack
The folding iPhone Ultra could include a feature many though it would lack.
AI image: Gemini/Cult of Mac

Potential folding iPhone buyers can breathe a sigh of relief. New images of cases for the device — supposedly dubbed the iPhone Ultra — show it including MagSafe. Previously, we saw no sign of this feature in leaks about the much-anticipated handset.

This could have been a deal-breaker for some buyers.

iOS 27 will finally fix a frustrating iPhone Home Screen problem

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AI-generated image of an iPhone with an iOS Home Screen with undo/redo buttons
Undo and redo buttons could simplify iPhone Home Screen edits.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

Apple will bring a minor but important upgrade to the iPhone’s Home Screen customization experience in iOS 27. It will reportedly allow you to “undo” and “redo” changes to your Home Screen.

This small tweak should make rearranging apps and widgets far less frustrating, especially when you accidentally move or delete something.

Top new Tozo earbuds bring near-AirPods quality for much less [Review] ★★★★

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Tozo NC20 Pro earbuds review★★★★
Tozo's new NC20 Pro earbuds come with a wireless touchscreen case and fantastically long battery life.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Apple users are trained to reach for AirPods. It’s Pavlovian at this point. But at a regular price of $79 or less — roughly the price of a single AirPods replacement bud — the new Tozo NC20 Pro does things AirPods 4 won’t. And Tozo launch deals get you these excellent buds for much less than the list price — currently $59.49 on Amazon, for example.

Today in Apple history: Newton boss departs as device struggles

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The Newton MessagePad, an product line run by Gaston Bastiaens, looks gigantic next to an iPhone.
The Newton MessagePad did not become the immediate hit Apple desired.
Photo: Blake Patterson/Wikipedia CC

April 19 April 19, 1994: Gaston Bastiaens, the executive in charge of Apple’s revolutionary new Newton MessagePad product line, parts ways with the company.

“We can’t say whether he fell or was pushed,” says an Apple spokesman. Reports suggest that the departing Bastiaens, general manager of Apple’s personal interactive electronics division, is leaving due to his failure to make the Newton a financial success.

Get PDF Expert for Mac at 42% off: The Apple Editors’ Choice PDF editor you need

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Upgrade your Mac's PDF-handling capabilities this Cyber Week for only $70.
Get PDF Expert, an Apple Editor's Choice winner, for less than $80.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

PDFs are arguably one of the most-used document formats by professionals, students and casual users alike. However, while they might be the best way to transmit documents, they’re not entirely easy to work with unless you own a capable PDF editor for Mac like PDF Expert.

Fortunately, this app makes handling, organizing, annotating, merging and editing PDFs effortless. And you can get a lifetime license to this award-winning Mac app for just $79.99 (regularly $139.99).

Your wait for M5 Ultra Mac Studio just got longer

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M5 Max-Ultra Mac Studio launch
The next-gen Mac Studio reportedly won’t ship until this fall.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

The wait for Apple’s much-anticipated M5 refresh of the Mac Studio just got longer. The company will reportedly delay the launch of the next big MacBook Pro refresh to 2027 as well.

The ongoing DRAM and NAND flash shortages are to blame for the delay, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

Make your iPhone completely hacker-proof — with a huge downside

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iPhone Lockdown mode: Apple’s most powerful iPhone security tool
You can be confident that Lockdown Mode will keep your iPhone safe from spyware.
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac

There’s a setting called Lockdown Mode you can activate on your iPhone that will make it virtually impossible to hack. Just by flipping a switch, you can make your iPhone incredibly secure. So secure, in fact, that Apple says no phone using Lockdown Mode has ever been hacked.

Sure sounds great. Surprise — here’s why you don’t want to use it.