Ever find yourself perplexed by the intended meaning of an emoji in a message? A recent survey suggests you’re not alone. Even on World Emoji Day (July 17), a lot of the little graphics have people scratching their heads and even offending each other.

Ukraine-based language-learning platform Preply sought to understand which emoji cause the most confusion and misuse — unintentionally or intentionally — among Americans. You can see the main findings below, including insights on the least used emoji that rarely make an appearance in conversations.

If you’re among the many folks who balk at the high price of Apple’s excellent Studio Display, intriguing new alternatives just arrived. Alogic recently unveiled its new 27-inch Clarity Pro and Clarity Pro Touch 4K displays, building up the line after releasing the original Clarity display last year.

I gave the Clarity Pro Touch a go and found it beautiful to look at and highly functional, as well. Priced at hundreds less than Apple’s Studio Display, either of the new Clarity displays should make a tempting alternative.

Apple’s 2022 iPad Pro lineup is the perfect laptop replacement for many. And if you are looking to buy the M2 iPad Pro, you can save up to $100 on it.

Amazon is offering up to $70 off on the 11-inch iPad Pro and up to $100 off on the 12.9-inch model. The discount varies depending on the storage and connectivity configuration you opt for.

We love it when computer setup users show their work as they trudge toward home-office nirvana. Today’s featured MacBook Pro and iPad Pro setup does it in a subtle way, providing “before” and “after” photos showing incremental changes that improved the workstation.

You can see the before photograph below and the after shot above.

An original iPhone from 2007 just sold for what’s apparently a record-breaking amount. At over $190,000, it’s more than 3X the previous top price, actually. But the latest device to sell at auction has a quirk that made it even rarer than usual.

The eye-opening price shows the market for factory-sealed 2007 iPhone units is hot.

Are you using your PC to its full potential? If you’re not using the latest Microsoft software, you’re missing out on some serious functionality. Whether you’re running an older OS or using dated apps, now’s the time to upgrade.

In this bundle, you can get Microsoft Office Pro Plus 2021 for Windows, plus Windows 11 Pro, on sale for just $49.99.
The regular price for this package is $418. And you won’t find this special price drop anywhere else on the internet. However, it ends tonight!

The next generation of Apple silicon is right around the corner, and the upcoming M3 processor is supposedly going into multiple new Macs before the end of 2023.

Here is what we know about the iMac and the two MacBooks we have to look forward to this autumn.

 When you want to work or watch a movie without distractions, turn on Do Not Disturb on your iPhone. A new Apple video shows how to activate this mode. To learn more, visit this detailed guide.

The activation process is simple enough that this Apple Support video mostly serves as a reminder that Do Not Disturb is available.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest iPhone 15 rumors paint a somewhat troubling picture. This year’s models might look a lot like last year’s models, which already seemed pretty darn familiar. Plus, is that camera hump really going to get even bigger? And will we once again revert to non-parity between Pro models, so you have to go ridiculously large to get the best features? Oh dear …

Also on The CultCast:

• The iOS 17 public betas arrive, but should you really install them on your daily driver? Our lousy experiences with the buggy software make that a pretty hard no unless you’ve got extreme tolerance for iPhone malfunctions.
• Craving that bigger iMac we heard about recently? Better put on your waiting pants.
• Jony Ive returns to hardware design with a very pricey product. Meanwhile, his precious $300 book Designed by Apple in California would have made a very smart investment.

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.

Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard will be best thing to happen to Mac gaming in decades. The selection of titles available for Mac (and iPad) will shoot up dramatically because Microsoft has committed to allowing its popular games available on rival cloud gaming services.

Mac gaming has limped along since the 1990s. This deal will be a huge turnaround — if it makes it over all the regulatory hurdles.

Why lug around a bag jammed with wires, hubs and other gear when you can attach a tiny gadget to your keychain that has all the functionality you need? With Lightning, USB-C and micro USB connectors, WonderCube Pro can get just about anything done.

This eight-in-one device can lets you connect to a charger, yes, but it also functions as a phone stand, an LED light, a flash memory reader and more. You can even use it with a 9-volt battery for an emergency charge!

Information overload is a real thing, and it’s all too easy to spend your downtime doomscrolling when you could be doing … well, literally anything else. If you’re looking for a way to feed your brain information that isn’t just empty calories, try Headway Premium.

During our Deal Days sale, you can get a lifetime subscription to this app — which turns bestsellers into snackable 15-minute reads or audio clips — for the lowest price anywhere on the web.

Apple will reportedly use a cutting-edge production method to make some of the components for the 2023 Apple Watch Ultra: 3D printing.

And if the experiment goes well, the tech could be used in other Apple devices.

Superlative Apple TV basketball drama Swagger puts Jace in the hot seat this week, as allegations prove too tough to beat. Jace does something crazy in the name of helping his community but it makes things even more fraught.

Meanwhile, Ike and Emory are at loggerheads about how to handle their star player. And Crystal must decide how she feels about her life once more becoming the subject of public debate. Entitled “Through the Fire,” it’s a typically excellent installment of this fiery show.

Mac maven Basic Apple Guy seemingly never stops creating gorgeous wallpapers you can download and put on your Apple screens — Mac, iPad and iPhone. Just in the past couple of weeks he’s made three beauties for you to try out.

Check out the images and see descriptions and links below.

While Apple is finally putting out an M2 Mac Pro even as its powerful Mac Studio machines conquer most hardcore computing tasks, the truth is most users can more than get by with an M1 or M2 Mac mini. That goes for Bill Penhale, who sent us his setup from Shorewood, Illinois, near Chicago.

“I am pretty techy for 70, ha!,” the retired sales director told Cult of Mac. And judging by his M1 Mac mini-powered setup, with a fine 4K external display, solid audio and loads of external storage, that’s certainly true.

Missed buying the iPad mini 6 on Prime Day? Worry not, as Amazon is still offering a sweet 20% discount on the tablet.

With the discount, you can get Apple’s smallest iPad for only $399.99, saving $99.01 on your purchase.

Summer brings the heat, but it’s not all sunburns. Sometimes it’s hot deals on crucial productivity software from Microsoft. It’s best to update yours to keep it working smoothly and to sidestep new security threats. So it’s a good thing you can nab the latest versions of Windows, Microsoft Office and other great software at super-low summer prices.

Fishing is a sport that requires patience. Ridiculous Fishing EX is a game that requires guns, chainsaws and toasters. Players go on a heroic quest for gills and glory in this action title.

The newly revamped game exploded onto Apple Arcade on Friday.

We all have a great novel or screenplay idea just waiting to come out. The key to making that idea a reality lies in your writing process and the tools you use. Turns out, professional writers have a secret weapon: the award-winning Scrivener 3 writing app.

Thankfully, it’s on sale right now with an impressive 50% discount, making it just $29.99 — the best price you’ll find anywhere on the web.

Epic sci-fi series Foundation, based on the work of Isaac Asimov, returns to Apple TV+ for a second season this week and blows expectations clean into the next galaxy.

The expensive, expansive show overcome opening night jitters in season one to become one of the more watchable and exciting things on Apple TV+, thanks in no small part to a game cast, tense set pieces, fleet drama and exquisite effects.

Apple TV+ needed its own Battlestar Galactica or Mandalorian, and Foundation more than met the challenge. Will it be able to repeat the successes of its first season?

Wireless charging is one of the iPhone’s best conveniences, and it’s even better with the right charger. Now through July 14, you can get the Speedy Mag wireless power bank during Deal Days, our answer to Amazon’s Prime Day.

The list of new emoji up for approval includes a phoenix, a breaking chain, a lime, a person nodding or shaking their head, plus a handful more.

These are being proposed to the Unicode Consortium in September, but are very unlikely to appear on iPhone and other computers before 2024.

Although Amazon’s Prime Day is over, you have not missed your chance to save money on iPad, MacBook or AirPods. These Apple products are still on sale with enticing discounts.

But don’t wait — these deals could disappear at any time.

Attention iPad owners: This is your last day to slash 30% off a fantastic variety of iPad cases in the Cult of Mac Store.

SwitchEasy’s sleek and protective cases cover any iPad you might own. See key highlights below and check out the SwitchEasy Flash Sale, which ends at 11:59 p.m. Pacific on July 13.