Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 23 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.
The USB-C port in the iPhone 15 series could be blazing fast. Photo: Cult of Mac
A new leak adds weight to a previous report that the iPhone 15 series will support Thunderbolt. If true, this will allow their USB-C ports to transfer files, updates and other data at up to 40 Gbps.
A tremendously faster data transmission speed would especially benefit those recording high-resolution video on Apple handsets.
In case you skipped LIT 101, there are no pirates in The Buccaneers. Photo: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is adapting Edith Wharton’s unfinished novel The Buccaneers into a drama series set to debut in fall 2023. It follows a group of American heiresses setting out to marry British aristocrats.
On Wednesday, the streaming service released the first images from the upcoming eight-part series.
The End Call button jumps back to a more familiar position in iOS 17. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apparently responding to online criticism, Apple returned the End Call button to a central location in iOS 17. Previously, Apple moved the button to the right side of the Phone application.
That change proved controversial, and Apple reversed it in the sixth iOS 17 beta recently seeded to developers.
watchOS 9.6.1 is a small tweak, unless the bug being fixed affects you. Then it's a biggie. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Apple introduced watchOS 9.6.1 to remove a single bug affecting Apple Watch. The problem being taken care of relates to applications that track the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
The update is available for Apple Watch Series 4 and later.
The Zagg Pro Stylus 2 does most of what Apple Pencil does, but costs less. Photo: Zagg
There are plenty of iPad styli, and also lots of iPhone ones. The just-launched Zagg Pro Stylus 2 is both. The colorful accessory also stands out from the crowd (and the original version) with wireless charging.
It works with a wide variety of iPad models, and launched Tuesday at a price well below Apple Pencil.
There’d be far fewer complaints about the MacBook Pro notch if it included Face ID. Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple just received a patent that covers building Face ID into a MacBook. The facial-recognition system is not a feature of any Mac … yet. But the new patent serves as evidence that Apple is still at least considering the idea of replacing Touch ID with Face ID in its notebook line.
Batterygate is long over, but Apple is still dealing with the repercussions of a severe lapse in judgement. Photo: iFixit
Apple is expected to soon begin making payments to iPhone users who were affected by 2017’s “Batterygate.” The iPhone-maker settled a class-action lawsuit in 2020, and the money is finally going out.
Those who owned an iPhone back then, and who filed a claim several years ago, should receive about $65.
A just-announced Netflix cloud gaming service will bring games to TVs, as well as Mac and Windows. Graphic: Netflix
Netflix games (remember Netflix games?) are finally expanding beyond iPhone and Android. The streaming service has begun testing its games on TVs and computers, too, via a cloud-gaming service.
A unique aspect of the upcoming service is that gamers playing on a TV will be able to use their iPhone or other handset as a controller.
A USB-C port will be one of the more important changes in the upcoming iPhone 15 series. Photo: Mockup Cloud
If anyone still has lingering doubts that the iPhone 15 series will have a USB-C port, images showing the internal hardware for the port have leaked out.
The end of the Lightning port is expected to be one of the major changes of the iPhone 15 series when it debuts next month.
iPad Air 5 brought a big surge of sale in Q2 2022, which made Q2 2023 look weak. Photo: Apple
Although people are still buying millions of iPads, the numbers are down compared to where they were during the pandemic.
Still, Apple is doing a much better job of selling tablets than any of its rivals. During the second quarter of this year, it shipped about twice as many as any other company, according to a pair of market research firms.
So many people tuned in to see the conclusion of "Hijack" starring Idris Elba that it's the most watched show on streaming. Photo: Apple TV+
Hijack, the Apple TV+ thriller starring Idris Elba, wrapped up last week, and the finale pushed the series to the very top of the charts. It became the most popular show on any streaming service, according to a market analysis.
With the entire season of Hijack available, now is the time to binge-watch it.
Want to watch Lionel Messi? Check out the Leagues Cup on MLS Season Pass. Image: Apple
Jorge Mas, the managing owner of Inter Miami CF, says that the addition of Lionel Messi to his soccer team has “more than doubled” subscriptions to Apple’s MLS Season Pass, which allows viewers to watch Major League Soccer games.
Messi joined the Florida team in July. The huge boost in paid viewership is quick work, even for the man who’s been called the greatest soccer player ever.
macOS Ventura 13.5 users report a problem with Location Services. The bug apparently prevents users from giving or denying applications permission to gather and use information based on the current location of the Mac.
Reports of the bug date back weeks but Apple has yet to issue a fix.
Disney is taking multiple steps in hopes of making its streaming service profitable, including trying to end password sharing. Photo: Disney
Disney CEO Bob Iger said Wednesday that the entertainment behemoth is exploring ways to prevent subscribers of its video streaming service from sharing passwords. Rival Netflix saw a surge in subscribers after it did its own crackdown.
The ad-free versions of Disney+ and Hulu are also getting a price increase this autumn.
With Stage Manager in iPadOS 17, you can arrange app windows however you like. Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple is making significant improvements to its Stage Manager multitasking system so iPads can work even more like Macs. The iPadOS 17 version offers additional freedom in window sizing and position.
I’ve been testing the update since Apple began releasing beta versions of iPadOS 17 in June. I already liked the original version of Stage Manager — but the new one is even better.
The Supreme Court won't immediately end Apple's anti-steering policy for third-party app developers. Photo: Sora Shimazaki/Pexels CC
The U.S. Supreme Court denied a request by Epic Games that would have required Apple to immediately get rid of its “anti-steering” rule for third-party applications — a major change. Instead, the Mac-maker can wait until there’s a final decision by the high court.
This means Apple doesn’t have to change its policy that prevents developers from sending customers from their applications to their websites to pay for subscriptions or services … yet.
Not all of the chips on a wafer a good. But who pays for the defective ones? Photo: TSMC
Apple’s chip-maker TSMC does not absorb the cost of defective processors created in the production process, according to a trusted analyst. That contradicts a recent report that TSMC “eats the cost of the defects.”
Which isn’t to say that Apple and the Taiwanese company don’t have a very close working relationship.
Get two full recharges for your iPhone from Ugreen’s MagSafe power bank. Photo: Ugreen
The name for the Ugreen MagSafe 10,000mAh Battery Pack with Foldable Kickstand is a mouthful, but it’s also a full description of what the new accessory has to offer. Magnetically clip the power bank to the back of an iPhone and it’ll wirelessly recharge the handset. And the kickstand means it also functions as a stand.
The accessory can even recharge two other devices at the same time.
A MacBook Air with either a 13-inch or 15-inch display is a better choice for most students than a MacBook Pro. Photo: Apple
Dear university students: While it’s tempting to buy the top-tier MacBook Pro, it would be a huge waste of money. You simply don’t need to pay an extra $1,000 or more for a notebook that powerful. A MacBook Air fits your needs much better, especially now that there’s a 15-inch version.
And beyond the higher price, the increased performance of the MacBook Pro comes with a drawback you’ll notice every day.
To be clear, there are exceptions for this — some students really do need a MacBook Pro. But odds are you’re not one of them.
This Belkin stand supports Apple Watch fast charging, but not all do. Photo: Belkin
Makers of third-party Apple Watch chargers will reportedly no longer be able to build the old, slow Apple Watch charging puck into their products. The only one available will operate 33% faster than the original Apple Watch charger.
This means that, going forward, all new Apple Watch accessories will support Fast Charge.
The HyperDrive Next 10 Port Business Class USB-C Dock is designed to be used in the office or on the go. Photo: Hyper
The just-launched HyperDrive Next 10 Port Business Class USB-C Dock can handle dual 4K monitors, and it offers multiple 10Gbps USB ports and a detachable USB-C cable.
It’s part of the new HyperDrive Next collection, which also includes a range of USB-C hubs plus an NVMe SSD enclosure with data transfer speeds up to 40Gbps.
Will there be more adventures for Sam Nelson (Idris Elba)? Photo: Apple TV+
Now that Hijack has finished its run on Apple TV+, fans of the immensely popular limited series want to know if there’ll be a season two. One of the executive producers says, “I hope so.”
Star Idris Elba already said he’s open to the idea.