Cult of Mac

In a move that’s sure to catch the attention of Mac users — particularly those with the latest M4 Pro machines — LG just unveiled its new UltraFine 6K Display at CES 2025. It calls the monitor, model 32U990A (no firm release date yet), the world’s first 6K display to feature Thunderbolt 5 connectivity.

So not only does it share Pro Display XDR’s amazing resolution, it packs the bleeding-edge connectivity speeds of TB5. That makes it an ideal companion for the recently launched M4 Pro Mac mini and M4 Pro and Max MacBook Pro models.

Look at your iPhone. Now look at that acoustic guitar that’s been sitting in your room for half a decade — dusty, untouched and sad. It’s time you strummed the strings as much as you text, and these online guitar lessons can help.

You don’t have to be a fan of school. In fact, it’s best if you aren’t — these video lessons are designed to be taken at your own pace, with lifetime access priced at just $39.99 for 14 courses.

A powerful new Anker Charger (140W) featuring a window display plus “vertical hanging ports” (aka downward-facing ports) to help keep USB-C and USB-A cables secure debuted Monday evening at CES in Las Vegas, the company said.

And along with the 140-watt charger, the accessories giant added a potent new 25,000mAh power bank (165-watt) that features retractable cables and TSA certification for air travel. Both devices are available now, see below.

Safari on the Mac feels a lot faster to use than Google Chrome. It is also more battery efficient and takes fewer resources. Yet, I prefer using Google Chrome on my MacBook.

Despite its faults, Google Chrome trumps Safari in many key aspects. There’s a reason why Google’s browser is the most popular choice worldwide.

After facing pressure to remove its AI news summaries after multiple reports of false headlines, Apple plans to tweak how the feature works.

Apple will update notification summaries to highlight when they are generated using Apple Intelligence.

Home cleaning technology saw an advancement at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Monday in Las Vegas when eufy unveiled its new eufy Robot Vacuum 3-in-1 E20. Billed as the first successful integration of robot vacuum, stick vacuum and handheld vacuum in a single, transformable unit with a number of advanced features, it won a CES Best of Innovation award.

The SanDisk Creator Phone SSD sets itself apart from rival portable drives with MagSafe. This means the drive magnetically clings to an iPhone where it’s available to hold up to 2 TB of ProRes video as it’s recorded.

SanDisk unveiled the SSD at CES 2025, along with other new storage options.

With the right scanning app, your iPhone or iPad can scan documents with vivid clarity. There’s no need for a printer-size scanner — you just need your Apple gear. A great example of such an app, iScanner is now on sale for only $28 with code FESTIVE30 (regularly $199.90).

Samsung committed itself on Monday to integrating Qi2 wireless charging into its Galaxy line of Android-based smartphones. It’s been dragging its feet for years, while the last four generations of iPhone models all support the standard.

Samsung’s just-announced adoption of Qi2 should benefit iPhone users, who until now have been the only ones able to take advantage of the new standard. More handsets using the magnetically enhanced wireless charging capability should lead to more accessories that employ it. More cross-platform accessories are a win for everyone.

The new flagship EarFun Air Pro 4+ noise-canceling earbuds feature AI-powered language translation. EarFun also will roll out other new products this week at CES, the big consumer electronics show in Las Vegas. The lineup includes clip-on earbuds and hook-on open-ear earbuds for workouts, affordable noise-canceling over-ear headphones and an Auracast USB-C dongle that can enable lossless audio for devices.

The Satechi Mac mini M4 Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure expands the capabilities of Apple’s tiny new desktop with additional front-facing ports and more storage. It even makes pressing the computer’s hidden power button easier.

Satechi gave a sneak peek of the product in November, but on Monday revealed the full specifications, including a price and release date.

New open-ear wireless earbuds called HumanPods unveiled at CES 2025 offer voice access to different artificial intelligence personas with a tap, according to startup Natura Umana.

The new earphones, which also play music, of course, promise to deliver what the company calls “the closest experience to a telepathic connection with your technology” by offering direct access to AI assistance through simple touch controls. The company’s CEO provides a little video demo below (complete with a few bugs).

iOS 18.2.1 went out Monday with the intent of removing bugs that snuck into the earlier version of the iPhone operating system. Apple also released an iPadOS equivalent.

Apple recommends both to anyone who installed the previous versions.

The SyncPen 4 smartpen makes note-taking easy. Just jot your notes on the system’s reusable notebook, and the smartpen automatically digitizes your handwritten notes and drawings in real time. It also translates your notes, captures audio and performs other neat tricks.

This unique smartpen set is on sale for $129.99 (regularly $139), but supply is limited.

January 6, 1998: After taking over a company on the verge of bankruptcy, Steve Jobs shocks attendees at San Francisco’s Macworld Expo by revealing that Apple is profitable again. An Apple comeback is on the way!

Referring to the company’s strategy since he took over as interim CEO in September 1997, the recently returned Apple co-founder says, “It’s all come together for us.”

Little did most of us know exactly how astonishing Apple’s rebound would be.

What do you do if you need to operate a network of video cameras and store all the footage? Today’s power user not only runs an astounding trio of Mac Pro desktop computers, he piles up stacks of high-capacity UniFi Network Video Recorders — known as UNVRs — for video recording-storage from multiple cameras, plus routers and switches galore.

The new Roborock Saros Z70 robot vacuum adds a first-of-its-kind robotic arm that can pick up obstacles in its path, like socks and sandals, the company said as it demonstrated the bot at CES 2025. This marks a shift from traditional obstacle avoidance to active obstacle removal in robotic vacuums.

But the bot vac with robo-arm might come at a steep cost, as other new Roborock models with many of the same features — but without the robo-arm — will go for $1,600, the company said.

The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub includes three ports that move data up to twice as fast as Thunderbolt 4 and USB4. That’s professional-level connectivity, opening the possibility of portable SSDs running at 6000MBps or up to three 8K displays at 60Hz .

After an announcement in autumn 2024, the hub is now ready to buy.

Ugreen hopes to make waves at CES 2025 with a lineup of cutting-edge products incorporating artificial intelligence and advanced connectivity — especially AI-powered NAS storage devices, the company said Sunday. But it also unveiled a shockingly powerful, 500-watt fast GaN charger and a Thunderbolt 5 dock.

Moving from a product lineup dominated by small chargers to a broader selection of tech wares, Ugreen unveils its latest products under the theme “Activate the Possibility of AI.”

The Belkin Stage PowerGrip adds the grip DSLR camera users are familiar with to an iPhone. Built into the grip is a battery which sends power to the handset via the MagSafe magnetic charging mat integrated into the device.

And his is just one of multiple new accessories Belkin unveiled in time for CES 2025.

Apple AirTag sale alert! A four-pack of these essential Bluetooth trackers are at their all-time lowest price on Amazon and Best Buy right now. This record-low price means you can currently pick up a four-pack for $69.99 — less than $18 apiece.

January 5, 1999: Apple introduces its revised Power Mac G3 minitower, nicknamed the “Blue and White G3” or “Smurf Tower” to separate it from the earlier beige model.

The first new Power Mac since the colorful plastic iMac G3 shipped, the pro-level machine borrows the same transparent color scheme. Unfortunately, it doesn’t hang around too long.

This amazing ear camera will help you combat earwax buildup that can seriously impact your hearing. Earwax impaction occurs in 57% of older adults and 10% of children, But you don’t have to be stuck blindly going at it with a cotton swab (which experts recommend against, BTW). Use this earwax removal tool instead!

The Smart Visual Ear Cleaner gives you a clear view of what’s happening in your ear — and a better way to clean up shop in there. You can get this earwax removal device for just $22.97.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest rumors indicate the iPhone 18 Pro will pack a variable aperture camera. Erfon and Griffin break down what that could mean — and why it could bring a significant photographic boost to the device.

Also on The CultCast:

• We’ve got some picks for what to watch during this weekend’s Apple TV+ free binge-o-rama.
• From the iPhone 17 Air to AirTags 2 (and maybe AirPods Pro 3), it looks like 2025 might be an exciting year for Apple — we discuss the stuff we’re most psyched about.
• Apple’s Magic Mouse is due for an upgrade. But will it really come with voice controls?
• We wrap up the show with our final picks for the best stuff of 2024.

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.

January 4, 1995: Apple signs a deal with third-party Mac accessory-maker Radius, allowing the company to build Macintosh clones that run on Mac OS.

Radius is the second company to license the Macintosh operating system. (Power Computing did the same thing a month earlier.) However, Radius will become the first licensee to bring a clone to market when its System 100 ships in March 1995.