Privacy-preserving URL protection and beefed-up password protection are coming to Google Safe Browsing for the popular Chrome browser for macOS and iOS, Google said Thursday. The Chrome security update comes to Macs, iPhones and iPads first. Android devices will see them later in March.
M3 MacBook Pro gets a whopping $199 discount
Apple’s M3 MacBook Pro packs the best bits of its more powerful M3 Pro and M3 Max siblings at a lower price point. At $1,599, the laptop is also $400 cheaper than its siblings.
Amazon’s latest deal drops the price of the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro by $199. The discount means you can get the machine for as low as $1,399.
This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.
Entry-level M3 MacBook Air uses significantly faster SSD
Apple fixed the slow storage speed that plagued M2 Macs on the M3 MacBook Air. Early testing indicates the entry-level M3 MacBook Air delivers significantly faster read/write speeds than its predecessor.
The slow SSD transfer speed only affected entry-level M2 Macs due to them using a single-chip NAND.
M2 vs. M3 MacBook Air: Which laptop is right for you?
The 2024 MacBook Air lineup looks a lot like the previous models. However, the M3 chip inside gives the laptops a performance boost, and the new laptops come with several additional upgrades. But in an M2 vs. M3 MacBook Air showdown, what are the differences? And is the new model worth paying more?
Find out in our M2 vs. M3 MacBook Air comparison.
Early benchmarks show M3 chip gives MacBook Air hefty performance boost
The Apple M3 processor in the 2024 MacBook Air brings a 25% increase to the upgraded notebook’s performance, according to early benchmark results. And the increase over the M1-based version is even more spectacular.
The M3 is Apple’s latest processor family, and it’s made using a cutting-edge 3nm production process.
No Apple March event for new iPad and MacBook [Update]
Apple is preparing to launch new M3 iPads and MacBooks this month. But don’t expect an Apple March event for their unveiling. Instead, the company reportedly will announce the devices through a “series of online videos and marketing campaigns.”
Update: This is now confirmed, as Apple unveiled the M3-powered MacBook Air on Monday via a press release.
New M3 MacBook Air gets big specs boost with same awesome battery life
The 2024 MacBook Air lineup launched Monday by Apple runs on the company’s M3 chip, bringing a significant performance boost to the laptop. It also benefits from Wi-Fi that’s up to twice as fast. Plus, the new MacBook Air can support two external displays. This all comes in the same thin design, with the same two display sizes and four colors.
Apple’s press release says that “with a faster and more efficient Neural Engine in M3, MacBook Air continues to be the world’s best consumer laptop for AI.”
The M3 MacBook Air starts at the same $1,099 price as the outgoing M2 model, which remains on sale starting at $999. You can order the new MacBook Air now from the Apple Online Store and it will be available this Friday.
6 cool things you can do with an old Mac
There are lots of things you can do with an old Mac. No one will fault you for upgrading to Apple’s latest and greatest, but your old Mac can still find a job to do, too.
It used to be that when your old iMac kicked the can, you hollowed it out and made an aquarium or a desk lamp. These days, Macs have a much longer shelf life. The right model can give you years upon years of loyal service. (Not to mention, modern Macs are too thin to house a fish.)
Here are the six best things you can do with an old Mac. Watch our latest video or keep reading below.
Today in Apple history: Mac mini arrives with Intel inside
February 28, 2006: Apple introduces an upgraded Mac mini, an affordable computer powered by an Intel processor.
A “headless” Mac for entry-level users, it’s the third Apple computer to switch to Intel chips. Oh, and it makes one heckuva media player when plugged into a television set.
How to set up the best Mac screensaver, Aerial
Screensavers fell out of fashion a long time ago, but Apple’s Aerial screensaver looks so beautiful, it just might make you reconsider. In fact, with its stunning visuals, it might just be the best Mac screensaver around.
The Aerials started on the Apple TV, showing gorgeous, sweeping helicopter photography of the world’s greatest natural landscapes, underwater sights and cityscapes — even shots from space. Now, if you have a desktop display set up somewhere prominently in your house, you can get the same beautiful vistas on your computer with the Aerial screensaver for Mac.
Here’s where to find this beautiful Mac screensaver, plus some setup tips that will really help it shine.
Today in Apple history: Hippie-themed iMacs fuel Cupertino flashback
February 22, 2001: The iMac Special Edition, sporting wild designs that would make a hippie happy, puts a wacky face on the computer that saved Apple’s bacon at the turn of the century. The Flower Power iMac and Blue Dalmatian iMac evoke tie-dye shirts or other unconventional ’60s-era imagery.
A far cry from the super-serious, aluminum-heavy industrial design that will come to define Apple in coming years, these colorfully patterned iMacs stand out as some of the most irreverent computers Cupertino ever dreamed up. (C’mon, when was a real Dalmatian blue?)
Under the consciously tacky exteriors, a pretty darn great iMac G3 hums along.
Today in Apple history: Photoshop debuts as a Mac exclusive
February 19, 1990: Adobe ships the first commercial version of its soon-to-be-iconic Photoshop photo editing software. The Photoshop launch, exclusively on the Macintosh, gives users new powerful tools for tweaking digital photographs.
The groundbreaking software debuts for Mac System 6.0.3. Priced at $895, Photoshop will quickly become the standard editing tool for graphics professionals. Whether they work for advertising agencies, news organizations — or, frankly, anywhere else — Photoshop users take advantage of the program’s digital darkroom tools to seamlessly manipulate images.
Photography will never be the same.
Today in Apple history: Pismo PowerBook is a multimedia powerhouse
February 16, 2000: Apple introduces the “Pismo” PowerBook, the finest of its G3 laptops. In the view of many, it’s one of the best Apple laptops ever.
The Pismo PowerBook is the first not to include SCSI or an Apple Desktop Bus connector. Instead, it utilizes USB and Apple’s Emmy Award-winning FireWire. Optional AirPort wireless support, tremendous battery life and a gorgeous, curvy design just make it better.
Today in Apple history: Mac mania sweeps magazine racks
February 13, 1984: The original Mac’s launch generates enormous excitement from the tech press, as epitomized by an InfoWorld cover story about the Macintosh 128K.
The wave of coverage comes a few weeks after the January 24 release of the Macintosh. But when the press blitz finally arrives, it becomes clear the Mac looks like a hit.
M2 Mac mini gets sweet $100 off
If you need a compact PC to replace your existing machine, there’s no better buy than the Mac mini. And with Amazon taking $100 off the machine in its latest M2 Mac mini deal, Apple’s cheapest Mac provides even more value for money.
Thanks to the discount, the M2 Mac mini with 256GB costs $499. After a similar $100 discount, the 512GB variant is available for $699.
Find the best laser printer for your Mac
What is the best laser printer for Mac users? When choosing between laser or inkjet, we recommend laser. Laser printers used to be prohibitively expensive, but prices have come down, and you’ll have fewer headaches. Inkjet printers are better for photos but are a pain to own. Replacement ink costs a fortune, the heads clog, and they dry out if the printer isn’t in regular use.
Laser printers, on the other hand, can sit idle for weeks without problems. They cost more up front, but are often cheaper to own in the long-run.
In this guide, we’ll explore which brand of printer works best with Mac and top laser printers that are fully compatible with macOS, whether you need a printer for your personal use, a home office or a small business.
Apple updates iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS with single bug fix
Apple made an unexpected software update available Thursday with a bug fix across devices, releasing macOS Sonoma 14.3.1, iOS 17.3.1, iPadOS 17.3.1 and watchOS 10.3.1 for users to install.
The fix relates to text that automatically duplicates or overlaps in various apps, like Safari, Mail and Messages.
How to use your Mac with Vision Pro
Screen sharing from your Mac to Vision Pro is a great way to work inside the headset while using your Mac’s keyboard and trackpad. You can enlarge your Mac’s screen to enormous size, and surround it with apps that work inside Vision Pro.
It’s called Mac Virtual Display. Unfortunately, it’s limited to only one Mac screen. But set up right, it can be the ultimate big screen setup — without the actual big screens.
Here’s how to use your Mac with Vision Pro.
Find the best affordable, feature-packed keyboard for Mac mini
Apple’s smallest desktop computer is a powerhouse in a small package, but it doesn’t come with peripheral devices — so what are the best keyboards for Mac mini?
Whether you use a Mac mini for work or gaming, adding the right keyboard is crucial for maximizing your productivity and comfort.
I’ve always been fascinated with keyboards and have several. I’ll show you 10 of my favorite choices for great keyboards to use with Mac mini below.
iPhone up, China down: 7 nuggets from Apple’s earnings call
Apple’s holiday quarter financial results offer good news for investors. iPhone is doing great! And CEO Tim Cook talked about AI. But there’s rotten news coming out of China.
We pored over the results, and listened to the call Apple executives held Thursday with Wall Street analysts, so you don’t have to. Here’s the information you ought to know.
What to expect from Apple’s critical holiday quarter earnings results
Apple earning results to be announced Thursday will reveal how well the company performed financially during the all-important holiday quarter of 2023. Analysts predict that revenue stayed steady in the October-through-December timeframe compared to the same period of the previous year, but the Mac-maker will announce a jump in earnings per share.
A strong earnings report might stop a recent slide in APPL share values — the stock price dropped about 5% over the last week or so.
15-inch MacBook Air returns to record low price
Apple’s popular 15-inch M2 MacBook Air once again hit its lowest-ever price, sliding down to $999 at Best Buy on Monday for the base model.
And while that’s for the entry-level configuration with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD, a few different configurations are $300 off, so you can add unified memory and/or storage space and still save a bundle.
We survived Vision Pro preorder chaos! [The CultCast]
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Vision Pro preorders didn’t exactly go smoothly last week. In our post-mortem, we discuss what went right, what went wrong, and why we can’t wait to finally get our hands on Apple’s headset.
Also on The CultCast:
- Apple plans to radically change the App Store … for Europeans.
- An update on new iPads and new Macs that seem poised to pop out of Tim Cook’s magic pipeline.
- The Apple car is still on the road to release. However, it might arrive a little later (and a lot less amazing) than we were led to believe.
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.
Apple might grab TSMC’s entire 2nm chip output
TSMC is on course to make the first processors made with a cutting-edge 2nm process. And all of the initial supply of these might go into iPhone and Mac, according to a published report.
It wouldn’t be a surprise, considering the same thing happened with the Taiwanese foundry’s 3nm chips.
The first 2nm chip won’t be out before 2025, though.
Save big on 15-inch MacBook Air with AppleCare+
A fantastic deal on the 15-inch MacBook Air knocks its price down by $200. That drops the price of the world’s slimmest laptop to as low as $1,099.
If you are looking for a sleek new laptop, the 15-inch MacBook Air is probably your best option. And that’s why you should not miss this deal.
This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.