Apple today argued against the European Union’s demands for standardized charging cables for smartphones and other devices.

New regulations being considered by the EU could force Apple to ditch the iPhone’s familiar Lightning connector for an industry-wide alternative. Apple said the move “stifles innovation” and hurt smartphone buyers.

“Apple stands for innovation and deeply cares about the customer experience,” Apple said in a statement to Cult of Mac. “We believe regulation that forces conformity across the type of connector built into all smartphones stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, and would harm consumers in Europe and the economy as a whole.”

Revelations that the FBI has access to a tool that can unlock data on secure iPhones are raising questions as to why the agency is demanding Apple help to create a “backdoor” to recover data on the iPhones of a Florida shooting suspect.

Belkin’s latest version of its Wemo smart plug with HomeKit support is significantly smaller than its predecessor, making it less obtrusive on wall sockets.

The company also unveiled at CES 2020 the Wemo Stage, a remote than can be used to launch HomeKit scenes with the punch of a button.

The holiday shopping season is behind us, but demand for AirPods Pro still exceeds supply. Orders placed on Apple.com won‘t ship before early February.

But those who live in a large metropolitan area have an option that could get them Apple’s new in-ear headphones much sooner.

A supposed “iPhone 12” dummy unit offers what may be our very first glimpse at next year’s big redesign.

It shows a device that looks a lot like an iPhone 11 Pro Max from the front, with a large, edge-to-edge display and notch. But it sports flat sides and sharper edges that are inspired by the iconic iPhone 4.

Some AirPods Pro owners report an unusual smell emanating from the plastic and rubber casings of Apple’s hot new earbuds. Of all things, they say they detect a whiff of … blueberries.

One expert tells Cult of Mac the aroma could be deliberate, or simply a result of chemical compounds in the plastics.

The 2019 Mac Pro is finally available to order, with prices starting at $5,999. That’s not cheap … until you compare it to the cost of a maxed-out model with all the bells and whistles.

Add every available upgrade and Apple’s newest machine suddenly skyrockets to an eye-watering $52,748.

That’s $12,848 more than a Tesla Cybertruck!

The Mac’s Dark Mode isn’t bad. It’s definitely a better view when quickly checking something on your Mac late in the evening. But unless you have it set to switch automatically, toggling Dark Mode on and off is a pain. So, with a shiny new MacBook Pro in front of me, I decided to put the Touch Bar to use.

Did you know you can add your own buttons to the Touch Bar? You can, and it’s totally rad.

Former design chief Jony Ive today disappeared from Apple’s leadership page after leaving Cupertino.

Ive joined Apple in 1992 and led its design team from 1996. He is credited for helping rescue the company from the brink of bankruptcy with a slew of iconic products.

It’s not quite the end of Ive’s relationship with Apple, however. His own design company, LoveFrom, will hold the iPhone-maker as one of its primary clients.

Disassembling the new 16-inch MacBook Pro finds plenty to like. There’s a keyboard that’s almost certainly more reliable, a revamped thermal system and a bigger battery.

On the other side of the coin, repair company iFixit did a teardown and gives this laptop a low, low rating for repairability.