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Rajesh Pandey - page 2

Meta steals top Apple AI exec behind ‘answer engine’ project

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Image representing Apple's AI knowledge
The brain drain from Apple's AI team is real (and likely to accelerate).
Photo: Apple

Meta continues poaching high-profile executives from Apple’s AI team for its Superintelligence group. The latest hire is Ke Yang, who Apple recently appointed to lead its Answers, Knowledge and Information team.

Apple’s team is making an “answer engine” that will crawl the web to answer simple search queries. 

14-inch MacBook Pro gets M5 power boost

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14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 chip goes official.
14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 chip goes official.
Photo: Apple

Apple unveiled an upgraded 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the new M5 chip on Wednesday. While the laptop looks the same as its predecessor, it sports a faster new Apple silicon processor to deliver even better performance.

“MacBook Pro continues to be the world’s best pro laptop, and today, the 14-inch MacBook Pro gets even better with the arrival of the M5 chip,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, in a press release.

Apple’s smart home hub will cost $350

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AI-generated image of wall-mounted screen for home automation with the words
Apple's first smart display could be pricey.
AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac

Apple will build its upcoming smart home products in Vietnam to diversify its manufacturing away from China. This includes indoor security cameras, a smart display and a tabletop robot

A $350 smart display will be the first to launch in spring 2026. 

Pro Display XDR 2 may borrow a fan-favorite iPad feature

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A table of desktop Macs. Going clockwise around the table, starting at the front: the Mac Studio with Studio Display (height-adjustable stand and nano texture glass), the iMac, Mac Pro with Pro Display XDR (with Pro Stand) and Mac mini with Studio Display (tilt stand).
Pro Display XDR 2 with a Center Stage camera? Yes, please!
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Apple’s next Pro Display XDR monitor could take a cue from MacBooks and iPhones and feature a Center Stage camera. Code strings referencing the monitor with the camera were discovered in the latest macOS 26.1 beta.

The Pro Display XDR is long overdue for a refresh, with the current model debuting in late 2019 for $4,999.

Apple’s sleek iPhone Air finally touches down in China

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iPhone Air finally launches in China
iPhone Air preorders go live in China soon.
Photo/Graphics: D. Griffin Jones/Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

After a month’s delay, Apple will launch the iPhone Air in China on Wednesday, October 22. Preorders for the device will begin this Friday, October 17.

Apple pushed back the iPhone Air’s September launch in China at the last minute due to regulatory hurdles around eSIM support.

Apple reshapes health, fitness and Apple Watch leadership as Jeff Williams nears retirement

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Jeff Williams at Apple Watch launch 2020
Jeff Williams retires from Apple later this year.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple is preparing for a major internal reorganization ahead of COO Jeff Williams’ retirement later this year. As part of the rejig, Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, will oversee the health and fitness team.

Meanwhile, leadership of the watchOS division will move to Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software engineering.

WhatsApp for iPhone finally adds built-in translation for 21 languages

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WhatsApp gets a native translate tool.
Translate messages natively in WhatsApp.
Photo: WhatsApp/Rajesh Pandey /CultOfMac

Meta began rolling out in-app translation support Tuesday for WhatsApp on iPhone. In its initial phase, the feature supports 21 languages, making it easier for users to chat with their loved ones without worrying about language barriers.

Keeping security and privacy in mind, the translations happen on-device, ensuring the messages remain private.

M5 MacBook Pro and iPad Pro could launch any day now

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MacBook Pro with chip on top
MacBook Pro's M5 refresh might land this month.
Photo: David Snow/Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac

Supplies of iPad Pros and 14-inch MacBook Pros powered by M4 chips are running low across Apple Stores. This indicates the imminent arrival of M5-powered models.

While reports of an M5 iPad Pro refresh surfaced before, this marks the first solid indication that Apple could launch an M5 MacBook Pro this year as well.

iPhone 17 ends Apple dry spell in China

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iPhone 17 sales in China outpace iPhone 16.
iPhone 17 appears to be a huge hit in China.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup has taken China by storm, with first-day sales reportedly far outpacing the iPhone 16.

In the first week alone, Apple moved an estimated 1.03 million iPhone 17 units — a massive 47% jump over its predecessor.

iPhone Air gets a gorgeous transparent makeover

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Modified iPhone Air with a transparent back
iPhone Air looks even more stunning with a transparent back.
Photo: brt2412

The iPhone Air already stands out with its sleek, ultra-thin design. A modder has now taken it a step further and added a custom transparent back glass to give the phone an even stunning look.

The result is a retro-mod vibe that shows off the phone’s internals in all its glory.

AirPods Pro 3 users report strange whistling sounds

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Edited photograph of AirPods Pro 3 to illustrate a story about users hearing a strange whistling sound
Are you hearing a whistling sound on your AirPods Pro 3 with ANC on?
Image: Cult of Mac

Some AirPods Pro 3 owners report hearing an annoying whistling sound from their new earbuds. The noise typically comes when they have the earbuds in, with no music playing and active noise cancellation on.

The problem doesn’t seem widespread, but enough new owners are reporting it to raise eyebrows.

Apple stops calling Apple Watch and M4 Mac mini carbon neutral

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Apple Watch and M4 Mac mini are no longer carbon neutral.
Apple Watch and M4 Mac mini drop the carbon neutral badge.
Photo: Apple/Rajesh Pandey/CultOfMac

Apple no longer advertises the M4 Mac mini and its Apple Watch lineup as “carbon neutral.” The company proudly unveiled its first carbon neutral products — the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 — in 2023.

But just two years later, it has removed the claim from all such product pages. And it’s not because Apple suddenly started making its devices differently.

These 6 apps will change how you use your Mac

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Photo of an M4 MacBook Air sitting on a desk with lights glinting off it, used to illustrate a guide to best Mac utilities.
I can't use my Mac without these utilities.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The best Mac utilities can make a great computer even better. From smarter window management to easier automation and cleaner navigation, a few well-chosen tools can dramatically improve your workflow.

I’m a longtime Mac user, and I can’t do my job without these six essential Mac utilities. In this guide, I’ll show you how they can make everyday tasks faster and simpler.

How are Russian YouTubers getting unreleased Apple products early?

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Apple products keep leaking in Russia.
A Russian YouTuber has leaked an unreleased Apple product second time in a row.
Photo: Apple/Rajesh Pandey/CultOfMac

Apple guards its upcoming products with extreme secrecy. However, a major leak in October 2024 saw the Russian YouTuber Wylsacom unboxing the M4 MacBook Pro weeks before its official release.

The same story now unfolds with the upcoming M5 iPad Pro. Wylsacom unboxed and showcased the device a few days ago, again weeks before launch. And another Russian YouTuber did the same the next day. So how do Russian YouTubers manage to grab unreleased Apple products so early?

WhatsApp now plays nice with iPhone Live Photos

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Live Photos WhatsApp
You can now share Live Photos on WhatsApp.
Photo: WhatsApp/Rajesh Pandey/Cult Of Mac

WhatsApp now supports sharing Live Photos. The feature began rolling out a few days ago, and Meta officially confirmed its release in an announcement on September 29.

With this improvement, you can directly share Live Photos with your friends over WhatsApp without converting them into GIFs or videos first.

Apple blames old MagSafe risers for iPhone 17 scratches

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iPhone 17 scratches
A deep blue iPhone 17 Pro models shows scratches in the store after just a few hours on sale.
Photo: @verdeselvans, X.com

Apple officially addressed the iPhone 17‘s Scratchgate issue. It says the problem isn’t due to the new glass-and-aluminum design, blaming worn-out MagSafe risers and chargers in retail displays instead.

iPhone 17’s Scratchgate controversy surfaced just days after it went on sale, sparking widespread concern among early buyers.

Intel seeks Apple investment to fuel revival

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Intel wants Apple's money
Intel wants Apple's money
Photo: Intel/Apple/Rajesh Pandey/CultOfMac

After locking in a $5 billion investment from Nvidia and another $2 billion from SoftBank, Intel reportedly wants Apple as its next major backer.

Apple was once a long-time customer of Intel. However, it eventually shifted to its own in-house chips after Intel failed to innovate quickly enough.

iFixit breaks down the iPhone 17 Pro’s Scratchgate problem

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Close-up photo of iphone 17 Pro in cosmic orange, while in the shade
Use a case if you don't want your iPhone 17 Pro's camera plateau scratched up.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac

In its iPhone 17 teardown, the iFixit team provides a detailed explanation of why the iPhone 17 Pro scratches so easily. They brought in a materials scientist to get to the heart of what’s causing Scratchgate — and explain how Apple might have avoided the problem.