Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
Apple wants to be able to patch iOS without the hassle of a full system software update. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple sent developers a “Rapid Security Response” bug patch for the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 betas. This is part of an ongoing series of tests on a system that will eventually allow Apple to quickly fix security problems without requiring a full OS update.
Users of many Apple computers can trade them in for cash. Photo: Apple
Apple bumped how much it will pay for trading in used products. An iPhone 13 series model now brings in as much as $600, a previous-generation iPad Air is worth up to $320, while the trade-in value for a MacBook Pro is as much as $730.
The payouts have increased up to $160 when compared to what Apple was offering last week.
Amazon Luna+ lets Mac, iPad and iPhone play console games. The technology is brilliant -- game selection is less so. Image: Amazon
You don’t need a console to play console games. Amazon Luna+ lets Mac, iPad and iPhone play top-quality titles with an external controller.
It’s been exactly a year since the cloud-gaming service launched, so I revisited Luna+ to see how it’s evolved. There’s a lot to like, but some significant limitations too.
The 2023 Mac Pro won't be simply the 2019 model with an M-series processor. But it is expected soon. Image: Cult of Mac
A high-level Apple executive says an upgraded Mac Pro is on the way, even if he did so in a backhanded way.
The company’s VP of Worldwide Product Marketing said in an interview that his company has “a clear goal to transition fully to Apple silicon.” That’s an oblique reference to the Mac Pro, the only macOS computer still running an Intel processor. A replacement with an Apple M-series chip could be out in mere weeks.
The Plugable UD-768PDZ (at left) and UD-3900PDH are USB-C docks that add up to three external displays to a Mac. Photo: Plugable
Plugable expanded its product line with two new triple display USB-C docking stations. These can add three screens even to Macs that are ordinarily limited to one external monitor.
The UD-3900PDH and UD-768PDZ docks also feature additional ports, including USB-A, Ethernet and SD card readers.
This mecha is really a 65W three-port charger for your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Photo: GravaStar
There’s no reason your USB-C charger has to be dull. Rather than being the usual white or black box, GravaStar’s Alpha65 looks like a miniature robot. But it really is a 65W charger with multiple USB ports.
And the company’s Supernova is both a Bluetooth speaker and a portable lantern even though it looks like a mini mecha.
An iPad with a beautiful OLED display seems inevitable at this point. It’s only a question of when. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The OLED screen supposedly coming in the 2024 iPad Pro might push the price up quite a bit. The component reportedly will cost significantly more than the one used in the current version of Apple’s high-end tablet.
If that’s the only change in the next-generation model, it’s going to be hard to justify a price hike. But there are plenty of other modifications Apple could make that would help buyers accept a $100 or more increase in the iPad Pro cost.
The Exploratory Design Group works at Tantau 9 on the Apple campus. Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Few outside of Apple have ever heard of the company’s secretive Exploratory Design Group. However, the team includes many of Apple’s brightest minds — and is developing some of its most innovative products.
Despite the secrecy, the XDG made headlines recently when its project to add blood glucose monitoring to Apple Watch leaked out. Now more details on the group and its moonshot projects have come to light.
These are just a few of the hundreds of classic Macintoshes going up for auction. Photo: Julien’s Auctions
The Hanspeter Luzi Vintage Apple Archive with over 500 computers and other Apple items will go up for auction at the end of this month. There’s an Apple Lisa and other classic Macintosh models collected over 25 years.
That means two separate auctions of Apple products will be happening in close succession.
Watch Major League Soccer on a wide variety of devices, including TVs, tablets and phones, not only ones made by Apple. Photo: Apple
It’s Major League Soccer’s opening weekend, and Apple TV will show every match… and they all can be watched free.
And that’s only the start. Apple TV is the home for MLS and will have every live match from the 2023 season plus the playoffs. Apple promises to offer more free matches later in the month and throughout the season.
Here’s how to enjoy these games without paying so much as a dime. These can be enjoyed on a wide variety of devices, not only ones from Apple.
Apple is allegedly prepping a product line of AR/VR headsets running xrOS. Concept: Amin Jony/Freelancer.com
A new report from a reliable tipster indicates that the second-generation of Apple’s VR/AR headsets will launch in 2025. This will supposedly consist of two models.
But Apple still needs to get the first generation on the market, and it’s possible the release date for the product is slipping yet again.
You can own one of the first Apple-1 units produced. Photo: RR Auction
An Apple museum could be made of just the items currently up for bid at a single auction. There’s a fully functional Apple-1, an Apple Lisa 1, some technical notes handwritten by Steve Jobs, an original iPhone still sealed in the plastic and much, more.
Many of these items are expected to bring in big bucks.
Apple reports that over two dozen Apple services are having an "outage." That includes many of the most-used ones. Photo: Cult of Mac/Linnaea Mallette/PublicDomainPictures.net
Apple is having a major outage of its online services. No less than 29 of them are reporting major problems, including the App Store, Apple TV+, Apple Music, Podcasts, and some iCloud services.
So it’s not just you. Stop rebooting your computer trying to fix it.
Update:Apple was able to quickly fix some of these, so the current total is eight services still having problems.
Update 2:All problems with Apple online services have now been resolved.
The Powerstation Pro AC can juice up an iPhone, iPad, Mac and a non-USB device. Photo: Mophie
The new Mophie Powerstation Pro AC is for anyone who has multiple devices they need to charge on the go, and not just phones and tablets. The 27,000mAh external battery includes four charging ports, including an AC socket.
Mophie also introduced updated versions of its more basic Powerstation and Powerstation XL offerings on Thursday. These pack 10,000mAh and 20,000mAh, respectively.
★★★★★
This multidevice wall charger looks like a 2.25-inch-tall Macintosh from the '80s. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The earliest Macintosh models used an iconic design — one that many longtime Mac users like me feel nostalgic about. The Shargeek Retro 67 is a salute to those early Macs that’s useful, not just decorative.
It’s a palm-size wall charger that pumps up to 67 watts through a trio of USB-C ports. With it, you can make a Macintosh juice up your iPhone and MacBook.
As someone who still has a Mac from the 1980s, it was a delight to test the Retro 67.
★★★★☆
OWC's latest dock includes Thunderbolt 4 ports plus USB-A, HDMI and more. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The OWC Thunderbolt Go Dock was designed to be taken on trips, which is unusual for a hub that uses this extremely fast connection standard. While portable, it still has room for eleven ports in a range useful types, including Thunderbolt 4 (of course), USB-A, HDMI, USB-C and more.
I put the dock through a series of real-world tests to see how well it performs.
The 3nm chips TSMC makes all go to Apple. Photo: TSMC
TSMC can now make 3nm processors, and Apple is all in. Literally all in — it’s reportedly buying the Taiwanese foundry’s complete output of 3nm chips.
This will be in the form of the upcoming Apple A17 and M3 processors, which are expected to both be made with the new process. It will make them faster and more energy efficient.
Apple Watch imports might be banned in an ongoing patent dispute. But that's unlikely. Photo: Apple
A decision by the U.S. International Trade Commission to block Apple Watch imports reportedly received a go-ahead from the Biden administration.
That would be a devastating decision, except that the ITC’s ruling is based on Apple Watch violating patents owned by AliveCor, and the U.S. Patent Office has ruled those are invalid. AliveCor is appealing, though.
Apple leads the list of Fortune's World’s Most Admired Companies All-Stars. Photo: Fortune
Apple once again tops Fortune‘s list of the most admired companies in the world. It’s an honor Cupertino earned many times before. “For the 16th consecutive year, Apple finishes first in our annual ranking of corporate reputation,” noted Fortune.
Other tech giants that made the top 10 include Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet/Google.
OtterGrip promises solid protection, MagSafe compatibility and a pop-up handle. Photo: OtterBox
OtterBox is known for its very protective iPhone cases, and its new OtterGrip Symmetry Series case adds a twist: a pop-up handle. Surprisingly, this doesn’t interfere with MagSafe wireless charging.
The design was good enough to win an Innovations Award at CES 2023 in January, and the case is now available to order.
Apple wants to make your iPhone into your car key, if it can get automakers to cooperate. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Remember Car Key digital car keys? Possibly not. Because ever since Apple announced the feature — which would let users unlock and start their cars with iPhone or Apple Watch — in 2020, it’s gone essentially nowhere. But a new Car Keys Tests application seems to indicate that the company wants to make its virtual car key system more widely available.
For that, it needs the help of automakers. The new app is part of that drive.
The iPhone's Communication Safety in Messages feature is expanding to half a dozen more countries around the world. Image: Apple
iPhone users in six additional countries have access to a tool intended to protect children from sexual predators. The countries now getting access to Communication Safety in Messages are in Europe, Asia and elsewhere.
The optional feature warns kids if they receive or attempt to send photos containing nudity.