iPad mini - page 7

Week’s best Apple buys: Cheapest ever refurb MacBook Air

By

Great deals on Apple gear -- and an iPhone case for just a buck!
Great deals on Apple gear -- and an iPhone case for just a buck!
Collage: Cult of Mac

We’ve got items big and small in this week’s roundup of best Apple deals. Whether you want to take advantage of all the latest updates from WWDC 2016, or just want an affordable refurb Mac that will get the job done, read on for savings.

Apple fixes Activation Lock bug with iOS 9.3 update

By

Get your iOS device up to date fast and easy.
Get your iOS device up to date fast and easy.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

A fix for the Activation Lock bug that plagued older devices that upgraded to iOS 9.3 has been released by Apple this morning, after the company pulled iOS 9.3 availability on select iPhones and iPads last week.

Apple pushed out iOS 9.3 build 13E237 to iPad Air and earlier models, as well as the iPhone 5s and earlier models. The previous build bricked those models during Activation Mode due to failed password authorization.

How to decide which iPad is best for you

By

Which one is best for you?
Which iPad model is best for you?
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

With the iPad lineup now verging on unwieldy, it’s harder than ever to decide which Apple tablet to buy. Which iPad is best for you? That’s going to depend on your needs, desires and budget — but your iPad buyer’s guide can help!

Do you go for the massive appeal of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro or opt for the smaller-but-newer (and slightly gimped) 9.7-inch iPad Pro? Will a tiny iPad mini suit you, or should you opt for an iPad Air 2, which is still a very capable, thin tablet?

All good questions! We’re here to help you answer them with this handy iPad comparison, just in time for when the new iPad Pro goes on sale Thursday, March 24 (most likely at 12:01 a.m. Pacific, according to Apple Support).

Laptop or tablet? Brydge the gap with Bluetooth iPad keyboard case [Reviews]

By

Brydge
The BrydgeAir iPad keyboard case is the perfect fit for your iPad Air.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

We all like to carry our gadgets around with us, but there are certainly times when being ultra-portable is apropos to the activity at hand. Say, vacation. I want to be able to take along just my iPad, or perhaps get some writing done in the local coffee shop — and the trendy ones usually have tiny tables that aren’t big enough for a full laptop.

The BrydgeAir iPad keyboard case is an impressive Bluetooth accessory and a fantastic match for the iPad Air. The keyboard allows me to be a bit more productive than I would without an actual keyboard, turning my iPad into a small, MacBook-like, laptop-style tablet.

Speed test puts every iPad ever made under the gun

By

Ready, set, unlock!
Ready, set, unlock!
Photo: EverythingApplePro/YouTube

The iPad lineup has seen a ton of changes since Apple introduced its first tablet in 2010. Not only have the form factors evolved ever so slightly, but the internal components have pushed the product line from a cool reading/gaming device into a powerhouse machine that can replace your laptop.

To see just how much iPad has progressed, EverythingApplePro created a speed test using every iPad ever made. It’s no surprise that the iPad Pro comes out on top, but the original iPad off a shocker by beating some of its successors.

Check it out:

Ultra-portable keyboard turns your iPad mini into a tiny, adorable Macbook

By

Portable, gorgeous, and super-useful.
Portable, gorgeous, and super-useful.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Best List: iPad mini keyboard by Brydge

We all like to carry our gadgets around with us, but there are definitely times when you’ll want to be ultra portable and just take along, say, your iPad mini on vacation. Or, perhaps you want to get some writing done on the airplane:we all know the seat-back tray is way too small for a full laptop.

This ultra-portable Brydge keyboard is a fantastic match for the iPad mini, letting you be a bit more productive than you would without an actual keyboard. It’s designed to match whichever iPad mini you own, turning the whole thing into an adorably small Macbook-like laptop-style tablet.

iPad Pro hopes, Woz fears Skynet, and British bar fights on The CultCast

By

It all started with Stella Artois...
It all started with Stella Artois...
Photo: By Charles F. Price

This week: why we might be in for big iPad upgrades this year; our expectations for the iPhone 6C; the one feature we hope iPhone 6S will get (but probably won’t); Woz is worried about Skynet again; and… is Apple building a machine for time travel? You’ll have to press play to find out…

Our thanks to HipChat for supporting this episode. HipChat’s team communication app helps all teams work together more effectively, and gets you the information you need faster than email. Get HipChat Plus free for 90 days at hipchat.com/cultofmac.

Show notes ahead, and they’re excellent.

Apple pulls last non-Retina iPad from stores

By

Apple stops selling its last non-Retina iOS device.
Apple stops selling its last non-Retina iOS device.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The last iPad with a non-Retina display was sent to the grave today, almost three years after its debut.

Apple quietly pulled the iPad mini from its online store, leaving just the iPad mini 2 and 3 behind to go with the iPad Air 2. In doing this, Apple made a significant milestone stone: the Apple Store no longer sells non-Retina iOS devices.

Chronic pain patients can ease their suffering with an iPod touch

By

Fix your back? There's an app for that. Sort of.
Fix your back? There's an app for that. Sort of.
Photo: Dillon K/Flickr CC

From the health-tracking features of the Apple Watch to iPhone cases capable of predicting strokes, there are more and more medical devices involving Apple products.

Perhaps the most amazing so far, however, involves a newly-launched medical technology which allows chronic pain patients to use their iPod Touch to interrupt the pain signals travelling up their spinal cord on their way to the brain.

Thieving educator takes phrase ‘an Apple for teacher’ too far

By

If only this story was quite so innocent. Photo: Pioneer Institute
If only this story was quite so innocent. Photo: Pioneer Institute

An old saying states that those who can, do; those who can’t, teach — and to this we should maybe add that those teachers who can’t afford the latest Apple products on their salary, steal.

That’s according to a new report stating that a former Caldwell School District teacher in Idaho has pleaded guilty to grand theft charges, after buying (and then failing to hand over) a plethora of Apple gadgets — including two iPod touches, three iPad 2s, a 27-inch iMac, and three iPad minis.

That’s an A for effort, but a D- for execution.

Is this our first glimpse of the iPad mini 4?

By

An alleged iPad Mini 4 rear shell. Photo: OnLeaks
An alleged iPad mini 4 rear shell. Photo: OnLeaks

The iPad mini 3 was a bit of a disappointment because Apple really didn’t make any improvements other than adding Touch ID. Big changes could be in order for 2015, though, according to a video of an alleged 4th generation iPad mini rear shell that shows Apple’s smallest tablet is about to get an iPad Air redesign.

Watch the full hands-on video below.

Crystal Baller: Fireproof Macs, Apple Watch pricing, and 5 other wild rumors

By

crysalballer

We get slammed 24/7 with new Apple rumors. Some are accurate, most are not. To give you a clue about what’s really coming out of Cupertino in the future, we’re busting out our rumor debunker each week to blow up the nonsense.

After staying quiet the past few weeks, the Apple rumor mill is erupting like Mt Kilauea with hot rumors about the Apple Watch’s possible launch date, gossip of the iPad mini getting discontinued, and our first iPhone 7 rumors of the year. Step up to the crystal ball and see which of these rumors are the real deal, and which are just pretenders.


The iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 are now available at Apple Stores

By

iPadair2pickup
You can grab an iPad Air 2 at your local Apple Store starting today. Photo: Apple

Apple announced its newest lineup of iPads last week without giving a specific launch date, but if you didn’t get in on the pre-order action you can just go to your local Apple Store and pick up a new unit starting today.

Pre-orders deliveries for the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 began earlier today, but Apple retail staff has informed Cult of Mac that stores should receive their first shipments this afternoon, even though most Apple Stores are still waiting for their display units.

Why Apple’s heading toward a ‘zombie iPad’ apocalypse

By

post-300070-image-f2b22eea4b71ea66285b5b1a926dc168-jpg
This is the source of the iPad's zombie problem. Photo: Apple

Yesterday, Apple unveiled the iPad mini 3, a slightly updated version of the second-gen iPad mini with Retina display. But even though it’s two generations old at this point, Apple still sells the original iPad mini for $249. That makes it the cheapest iPad yet, albeit for good reason: It packs the same A5 chip and other silicon guts that the iPad 2 did way back in March 2011.

That might actually seem like a good deal for consumers, but it’s turning out to be a nightmare for developers who will likely have to support the iPad mini until 2017.

What to expect from tomorrow’s Apple event

By

oct event invite

Until September, 2014 was a pretty quiet year for new Apple products. But the drought is over.

After announcing new iPhones and the Apple Watch last month, another media event is being held October 16th at Apple’s Town Hall auditorium on its Cupertino campus. “It’s been way too long,” joked Apple in its invitation to select members of the press. For those itching to see new iPad and Mac hardware, indeed.

While Town Hall is only a fraction of The Flint Center’s size, October 16th’s event shouldn’t be viewed as any less important. iPad sales are stagnant, and Apple’s desktop displays have been needing an upgrade for years. Apple Pay, an entirely new venture for the company, is expected to come out any day now. And then there’s always the chance that Apple still has at least one surprise up its sleeve.

The next iPad mini could be delayed til 2015 to differentiate it from the iPhone 6 Plus

By

ipadair2
The iPad Air 2: coming next month?

Despite KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s usually excellent track record on Apple predictions, he messed up his last prediction that the iPad Air 2 would make its appearance at Apple’s iPhone 6 launch event two weeks ago.

Obviously, that didn’t happen. But if you’re eager for an iPad Air boasting an A8 chip, a new report corroborates a rumor we’ve heard before: it’s coming in October. Don’t wait for an A8 iPad mini though: it’s at least three months away.

Check out how this former Apple employee announced his new baby

By

baby
Former Apple Online Store training manager Andreas Kleinke came up with a unique way of letting people know about his new family member.

How do you celebrate the arrival of a new member of the family? If you’re super Apple fan and former training manager for the Apple Online Store team Andreas Kleinke the answer is that you announce it in the same way Apple introduces a new product.

Adopting the minimalist design Apple is known for, Kleinke created a website for his new baby Jonathan, describing his son’s “20-inch seamless unibody enclosure,” “ten meticulously aligned fingers” and “maximum volume going all the way up to 120 dB.”

The site notes that parental sleep mode is disabled by default, and that gibberish comes as the pre-installed language, although additional language packs are available.

“The response has been truly amazing,” Kleinke tells Cult of Mac. “We already got hundreds emails from all around the globe, and there’s not a single mean one among them. Only very friendly people wishing the best. I’m sure Jonathan will be pleased, once he gets over that whole screaming thing.”

Next-gen iPad Air may come with double the RAM

By

3020496-poster-1280-ipad-air-2

Details of the iPhone 6 have been leaking like a broken water balloon the past few weeks, but while details on the upcoming iPad Air 2 have been scarce, a new report claims Apple plans to increase the next-generation iPad Air’s performance with a big RAM upgrade.

Supply chain sources from China have told TechNews in Taiwan that Apple will double the amount of RAM in the iPad Air 2 to 2GB, but the iPad mini with Retina display will continue to pack only 1GB of RAM.