Ed Hardy

Sunny mystery/dark comedy becomes latest Apple TV+ hit

By

Sunny is an Apple TV+ mystery/thriller/dark comedy
Sunny is an Apple TV+ mystery/thriller/dark comedy
Photo: Apple TV+

Sunny, a mystery thriller with a darkly comic bent starring Rashida Jones and a robot, quickly became one of the most popular shows on streaming after premiering on Apple TV+ earlier in July.

But it’s not even the most-watched Apple series. That honor belongs to the crime drama Presumed Innocent, which has drawn a big audience for weeks.

Install this wallpaper on your Mac to celebrate ‘Blue Screen of Death Day’

By

BSOD Windows 10
The BSOD is often the first indication that a Windows user is about to have a very bad day.
Screenshot: Microsoft

A faulty Windows security update crashed Windows computers across the world on Friday. Any PC that installed the update got hit with the infamous Windows Blue Screen of Death, leading to planes being grounded, disruptions at banks, stores that can’t make transactions, and many more problems.

As a macOS user, there’s no reason for you to feel left out. You can install the BSOD as a wallpaper on your Mac and pretend to join in.

Learn about using Apple gear on the go in funny video starring the Underdogs

By

Learn about using Apple gear on the go in funny video starring the Underdogs
The Underdogs are back, and using laughs to demonstrate using Apple computers while traveling.
Image: Apple

Instead of an ordinary video demonstrating how useful MacBooks, iPads and iPhones are on a business trip, Apple presents another madcap adventure of the Underdogs.

The group is off to Thailand to have millions of boxes produced for their most difficult client, and everything possible goes wrong. Fortunately, it’s Apple gear to the rescue.

Apple TV+ earns a whopping 72 Emmy nominations

By

Apple TV+ Emmy nominations
Apple TV+ garnered no less than six dozen Emmy nominations.
Photo: The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences/Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The Apple TV+ streaming service earned more Emmy Award nominations than it ever has before. There were 72 noms for 16 different shows, including The Morning Show, Palm Royale, Lessons in Chemistry, Slow Horses, Loot, Hijack and many more.

“We are so thankful to the Television Academy for honoring our storytellers with a record number of Emmy nominations today,” said Jamie Erlicht, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video.

Guide a river to the sea in meditative new Roia game [Awesome Apps]

By

Guide rivers to the sea in meditative new Roia game [Awesome Apps]
Playing Roia is a unique and relaxing experience.
Screenshot: Emoak/Cult of Mac
Awesome Apps

New game Roia challenges players to guide a river down a mountain by rearranging the terrain. It’s another unique premise from Emoak, a team of developers with a history of creating standout games.

I spent a couple of hours playing it on my iPhone, and found the game to be demanding but also relaxing. And not like anything I’ve played before.

How to share an AirTag with other people

By

A New York Times reporter found that AirTag tracking and privacy alerts can work better than other trackers.
You can share an Apple AirTag with up to five people. Here’s how.
Photo: Apple

When Apple launched the AirTag, you could link the tracking tags to only one person. Luckily, Apple expanded that. Now you can share an AirTag with up to five other people, so each one can see where it is.

Here’s how to share an AirTag with family members or friends.

Apple takes back title as world’s most valuable company

By

Apple takes back title as world’s most valuable company
Apple's market cap is way ahead of Microsoft and Nvidia.
Photo: Pixabay/Pexels CC

With a market capitalization above $3.6 trillion, Apple regained the title of world’s most valuable publicly traded company. The Mac-maker is valued well above Microsoft and Nvidia, both of which had been valued higher earlier this year.

A recent sharp rise in AAPL share value seems to indicate that investors are optimistic that a surge in iPhone sales is on the horizon.

HomePod mini goes to the dark side

By

HomePod mini in midnight
Try not to be stunned by the new HomePod mini color option.
Photo: Apple

Apple just replaced the space gray HomePod mini with a new midnight color option. Monday’s change to the company’s smart speaker lineup is hardly monumental — you might not even be able to see the difference.

Still, the new midnight HomePod mini is also “green.” Apple made it using 100% recycled mesh fabric.

Delta all-in-one retro game emulator comes to iPad

By

Delta all-in-one retro game emulator comes to iPad
You can play classics on your iPad like a giant Game Boy, or turn your tablet into a virtual arcade.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iPad users, get your game on. The Delta retro game emulator that launched for iPhone in the spring is now out for Apple tablets, too.

The software can handle ROMs originally for the classic Game Boy plus NES, SNES, Nintendo 64 and Nintendo DS.

How to check iPad battery health

By

iPad Battery Health How To
Knowing your iPad battery health helps you decide when it's time for a new tablet.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Checking the health and maximum capacity of the battery in older iPad models isn’t as easy as it should be, but we can walk you through the process. Finding out how worn out the tablet’s battery is can help you decide if it’s time for a new model.

But for those who already upgraded to the latest iPad Pro or iPad Air, checking battery health is a snap.

Get a deal on USB-C Apple Pencil refurb from Apple

By

Apple Pencil (USB-C) on iPad
Save on Apple Pencil (USB-C) as a refurb or new.
Photo: Apple

Apple began offering refurbished Apple Pencil (USB-C) units Thursday. The stylus, which works with all recent iPads, is available at 12% below the regular cost as a refurb.

Alternatively, you can buy a new one at the same discount price from major retailers. Or even better, get a new, open-box Apple Pencil (USB-C) from Cult of Mac Deals for just $59.99.

Apple’s Vision Pro headset launches in Europe, Canada and Australia

By

Vision Pro Apple store demonstration
Vision Pro is now available in five more countries.
Photo: Apple

Vision Pro launched in Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the U.K. on Friday. Interested buyers can now go to an Apple retail store in any of those countries for a demonstration. Or just put in an order online.

This comes two weeks after the product arrived in Asia. The U.S. launch was in February.

Add USB-C ports to your Mac with these 4-port travel hubs

By

Satechi and Zagg 4-port USB-C hubs.
Both Satechi (left) and Zagg (right) offer small travel hubs with additional USB-C ports.
Photo: Satechi/Zagg

The new Satechi 4-in-1 USB-C Hub With 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet expands a Mac with a trio of high-speed USB-C ports and fast networking. It launched Thursday at an affordable price. Alternatively, there’s the Zagg 4-Port Hub, which offers a pair of USB-C ports, USB-A and HDMI.

Either of these hubs can make a MacBook into the center of an extensive office setup on the go.

Rashida Jones investigates a mystery with creepy robot in Sunny [Now on Apple TV+]

By

Apple TV+ mystery thriller 'Sunny' stars Rashida Jones and a robot
Rashida Jones and her robot star in Sunny on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Suzie’s Japanese husband and son are missing and possibly dead, so her husband’s secretive company gives her a creepy robot named Sunny as a consolation prize. Together they’ll uncover the dark truth of what’s really going on. Intrigued? Stream the newly released Apple TV+ mystery series Sunny now.

It’s already earned a high score from Rotten Tomatoes.

This handcrafted leather iPad case and stand is so gorgeous [Review] ★★★★★

By

DodoCase English Bridle Leather iPad Case★★★★★
DodoCase English Bridle Leather iPad Case is elegant and professional.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

An iPad is practically a work of art — don’t put it in a cheap plastic case. Wrap your iPad in English Bridle Leather with the latest handcrafted product from DodoCase.

It’s a carrying case, and folds into a stand when you’re ready to work. And there’s an Apple Pencil holder, too.

I’ve been testing one with my M4 iPad Pro, and I’m quite taken with the look. And the design, too.

iPhone opens to rival digital wallets and tap-and-go systems in EU

By

Apple Pay Tap-to-Pay
Apple Pay isn't the only tap-and-go payment option in the EU.
Photo: Apple

Apple and the European Commission came to an agreement on opening up iPhone to rival digital wallets and tap-and-go systems. The days of the iPhone’s NFC capabilities being limited to just Apple Pay are at an end. In Europe, anyway.

But in the rest of the world, it’s Apple Pay or nothing.

Moving pics from Google to iCloud Photos just got easy

By

Moving pics from Google to iCloud Photos just got easy
Transferring from Google Photos to iCloud Photos is as easy as asking.
Image: Cult of Mac

It’s now possible to transfer images and videos stored on Google Photos directly into iCloud Photos. Apple and Google cooperated to make this possible.

Wow, these two rivals actually worked together on something.

Apple Ring is the health accessory we need

By

Apple Ring is the health accessory we need
An Apple Ring should join Apple Watch as a way to let wearers monitor their health.
Concept: Victor Soto/BluePoly

Apple’s next new product should be a smart ring. No, not so you can scroll through Instagram on a teeny-tiny display. The Apple Ring would be packed with health sensors that allow wearers to track their exercise and fitness goals while carrying no other device.

It wouldn’t even require developing new technology. All that’s needed is for Apple CEO Tim Cook to make the decision to offer a new type of health tracker.

Samsung unveiled Galaxy Ring on Wednesday, showing that this type of wearable is going mainstream. It’s time for Apple to step in and show its rivals how it should be done.

Mac shipments shoot up a whopping 20%

By

The new MacBook Air with M3
The new MacBook Air with M3 likely helped push up Mac shipments.
Photo: Apple

No PC maker is growing faster than Apple. Mac shipments increased 20.8% year over year in Q2, according to market analysts. That’s a growth rate that dwarfs larger rivals.

It’s the second quarter in a row of double-digit growth for Apple.

Code for HomePod with large touchscreen found in tvOS 18

By

HomePod with a larger Display concept
A HomePod with a larger touchscreen -- perhaps something like this concept -- is supposedly on the drawing board at Apple.
Concept: Apple/Cult of Mac

A bit of the user interface for a rumored HomePod smart speaker with a large touchscreen reportedly turned up in the latest beta for tvOS 18.

We’ve heard leaks and rumors about such a smart home device since at least 2021, but now the product seems to be moving nearer to release.

iPhone 17 may get cutting-edge 2nm chip from TSMC after all

By

TSMC looks ahead to super-speedy 2nm processors
2nm processors made by TSMC will be faster while using less power than today's 3nm iPhone chips.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple’s chip-maker TSMC will begin trial production of 2 nm processors next week. This is months earlier than expected, and raises the possibility that the company’s next generation production process will be ready in time for the A19 chip in the iPhone 17.

The improvement over the current 3nm process should bring a jump in performance without affecting battery life.

Add Logitech Keys-to-Go 2 keyboard to your iPad without bulking it up [Review] ★★★★☆

By

Logitech Keys-to-Go 2 reviewå★★★★☆
Logitech Keys-to-Go 2 helps make you productive wherever you go.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Logitech Keys-to-Go 2 for iPad is the portable keyboard for those who need to type on the go but don’t want a keyboard built into their tablet’s case. It’s a standalone accessory designed to travel with a tablet or be left behind when it’s not needed.

I tested the very slim and lightweight product with my iPad Pro and my iPhone 15. Its extreme portability makes it useful in situations that more typical keyboards are not.

Lisa Kudrow’s Time Bandits trailer looks like one of Phoebe’s drug trips

By

'Time Bandits' on Apple TV+
The Apple TV+adaptation of Time Bandits is for the whole family.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ turned the 1981 cult classic movie Time Bandits into a comedic adventure series for all ages starring Lisa Kudrow (from Friends, duh). It premieres later this month on the streaming service.

The trailer that dropped Tuesday shows that this version of Time Bandits will be much more kid-friendly than the original. Kudrow and her team of time-traveling thieves cavort through history to the lighthearted tune of the B-52s’ “Roam.”

How to set AirDrop to share iPhone photos with anyone [Pro Tip]

By

How to set AirDrop to exchange pictures with anyone's iPhone [Pro Tip]
Here's why you might be having trouble exchanging images with your friend's iPhone over AirDrop, and how to fix it.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Pro-tip-4 You’re at a party and your friend takes a great picture. You ask them to AirDrop you a copy and the two iPhones won’t connect. So frustrating — what the %^#* is wrong? Why can’t you share iPhone photos the way you used to?

The problem might be because Apple changed the way AirDrop works in iOS 16. Here’s how to set the easy wireless file-transfer system so you can get that picture from your friend.