New iPads with faster chips could arrive soon. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple could announce new iPads as soon as Tuesday, according to a new report. The company could unveil a new entry-level iPad, an updated iPad Air and the iPad mini 7.
All refreshed iPads purportedly will sport a minor spec bump but few other changes.
We love the iPhone 15 Pro's Action button just as it is, but hey ... upgrade away! Image: Cult of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: An iOS 17 update supposedly will stop the iPhone 15 Pro’s Action button from triggering in your pocket, at least in certain circumstances. Is this really a problem that needs fixing?
Also on The CultCast:
When it comes to upcoming Macs and Apple Watch, this week’s no news sounds like very bad news indeed.
Apple’s Vision Pro headset seems to be straining the necks of some pencil-necked geeks.
For this week’s Under Review segment, I’ve got a unique-looking charger and Erfon and Griffin bring very different sorts of cameras to the podcast’s version of show and tell.
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast 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 live stream, embedded below.
Very popular series grew the Apple TV+ audience this year. Photo: Apple
Apple TV+ now has 7% of the U.S. streaming market, according to a company that follows the industry. That’s more than double the measly 3% the service had two years ago.
At the top of streaming market are Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.
The Apple Watch Ultra has one standout feature that alone is worth the price of admission. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Although I go for almost daily bike rides for exercise, I used to always forget to record the rides on my Apple Watch. I’d always record the rides on my bike computer. But when it came to the watch, I’d never remember until halfway through the workout, if at all.
That’s until I got the Apple Watch Ultra, which boasts a bright orange Action button that I set to start an Outdoor Cycle workout.
Now, I remember every time, and it’s because of the button. It’s the strangest thing, and I have no explanation. But the act of hitting a physical button makes me remember.
The versatile Action button — which you can set to turn on the watch’s flashlight, start the stopwatch or run a shortcut, among other things — is reason enough to get the Apple Watch Ultra, which I’ve been wearing since its launch last year. But there’s another great reason. Actually, two.
Broadcom Wi-Fi modems were at the center of a lengthy lawsuit that's finally been settled. Photo: Florian Knodt/Flickr
The California Institute of Technology got what it wanted out of a years-long patent-infringement lawsuit against Broadcom and (peripherally) Apple. Caltech filed paperwork in a California court dismissing its case.
It’s not clear at this point whether or how much Broadcom and Apple paid the university as part of a settlement. It could be hundreds of millions, though.
The Qualcomm X75 modem will almost certainly appear in the iPhone 16 Pro and add support for 5G Advanced. Image: Qualcomm
The Qualcomm X75 modem unveiled in February will be part of the iPhone 16 Pro models when they launch in 2024, according to an industry analyst. It’s the first from the modem-maker to support the speedy 5G Advanced standard.
But the cutting-edge chip supposedly won’t be included in Apple’s more affordable non-Pro handsets.
Sandstone is one of four colors you can choose from at the 49% off price point of $180. Photo: Beats
Although the well-reviewed Beats Studio Pro wireless active noise canceling (ANC) headphones just launched in July, you can now get them for half off on Amazon (49% off, to be exact). And that’s not a Prime member special, either.
★★★★☆
PNY offers the cross-platform flash drive your iPhone needs. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Feeling jealous that iPhone 15 users can plug a thumb drive directly into their phone? Then you need the PNY Duo Link iOS USB 3.2 Dual Flash Drive. It has both a Lightning connector and USB-A connector, which makes it compatible with iPhone, iPad and Mac. Windows, too.
With it, you can copy images or other files between devices. Or backup your iPhone when you’re on the go.
I put PNY’s drive through its paces. Here’s what I found out.
These cable blocks are incredibly handy for taming cable clutter. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
As part of Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, Function101 offers a couple of ways to save on Apple accessories, like the accessory-maker’s nifty Cable Blocks, Apple TV remote control and Desk Mat Pro.
But act fast, because the offers end Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.