Apple Pencil Pro is the best iPad stylus on the market, and a new deal knocks 28% off the regular cost. For a limited time, you can get an Apple Pencil Pro from Amazon for $92.97. That cost has never been lower.
If you just got a new M5 iPad Pro during the holidays, this is the stylus you want to go with it. Put them together, and you’ll be creating beautiful art in no time.
There’s also a deal on the Apple Pencil (USB-C), the iPad stylus that’s useful for non-artists.
Moft, known for its origami-inspired tech accessories, unveiled a lineup of Apple Find My-compatible MagSafe iPhone wallets — including one that works as a stand and another that’s more like a tripod — plus a new iPad folio case at CES 2026 in Las Vegas Monday.
The announcements mark a significant expansion of the company’s product ecosystem with enhanced tracking capabilities and integrated device protection.
Belkin used the giant CES 2026 trade show going on this week in Las Vegas to unveil a wide range of new accessories for iPhone, Mac and iPad. There are high-speed power banks and desktop chargers that support MagSafe, a wireless HDMI adapter and more.
These all hit shelves in the early months of the year.
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 $27.99 (regularly $199.90) with code FLASH.
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.
Finding good AI tools isn’t the problem. Even the free version of ChatGPT can do a lot. The real frustration is that if you want good results for generating copy, creating images, transcribing text and doing a myriad of other AI tasks, you often need a whole pile of subscriptions, and those costs add up. The alternative is to get an all-in-one tool that brings top AI models together in one interface. Enter 1minAI.
The major benefits of 1minAI are organizational and financial. It gives you access to ChatGPT, Gemini Pro, Llama, Mistral AI and more. So you get all your AI tools in one place, and you don’t need to pay for a subscription to each one separately. For a limited time, you can get a lifetime sub to 1minAI for just $24.97.
January 3, 1977: Apple Computer Co. is officially incorporated, with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak listed as co-founders. The Apple incorporation leaves out third founder Ron Wayne — who initially invested in the company — because he sold back his stake in Apple for $800.
The funding and expertise needed to turn Apple into a corporation is provided by a man named Mike Markkula, who becomes an important figure in the company’s history.
If you didn’t get the smartwatch you wanted as a gift, take heart: a hot deal on Apple Watch Series 11 drops the cost to only $299 for the smaller 42mm size. That’s a $100 discount off Apple’s MSRP — 25% off!
The same $100 discount applies to the 46mm size, too, lowering it to only $329.
Using an aging iPad? Or maybe you’re thinking about getting your first tablet. Great news! Updated models with significantly more horsepower will hit store shelves soon.
Here’s what to expect from iPad in 2026.
Surfshark VPN keeps you safe anywhere you go online, on an unlimited number of devices. This virtual private network can help you avoid hackers, trackers and regional restrictions.
Operating securely on the web is essential in the modern world. And right now, you can get a three-year subscription to Surfshark VPN for just $67.20 with code SURF. That’s a massive discount off the regular price of $430.
You can turn your iPhone into a smart display on your nightstand, at your desk or in the kitchen using StandBy mode. It’s an attractive way to put your iPhone to work as a small information board or digital clock when you’re not actively using it.
Of course, it works best if you own a phone with an always-on display. However, it works with any iPhone with MagSafe running iOS 17 or later. Best of all, StandBy remembers different preferences for different rooms, so you can set it up as a bedside clock in the bedroom, a digital photo frame in the living room, or a music controller in the kitchen.
Here’s everything you can do with StandBy on your iPhone.
Every project needs a good team, but even the best personnel can get tangled when the job sprawls into different areas. That’s when the right software isn’t just a help — it’s a necessity. Microsoft has been helping workers boost productivity for decades with critical software (including early Mac apps). But there’s one tool you won’t find bundled with Microsoft 365, and you can get it in our Microsoft Project sale.
Thanks to this deal, new users can now get a lifetime license to Microsoft Project Professional 2021 for PC for less than $10. That’s a 96% discount off the usual price of $249.99 … and our lowest price ever!
New research from the Apple Heart and Movement Study reveals that Apple Watch wearers tend to buck the trend of abandoned fitness goals, Apple said Friday.
Data shows Apple Watch users consistently maintain elevated exercise levels well past the notorious “Quitter’s Day” in mid-January. To build on that in 2026, Apple now offers more ways to keep Apple Watch users motivated so they can nail their New Year’s fitness resolutions.
This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: Apple’s got a fantastic year ahead of it, with a genuinely prodigious pipeline of new products coming in 2026. From a folding iPhone and a low-cost MacBook to entirely new product categories, get ready for 12 months of exciting new Apple hardware.
In our first show under the new Cult of Mac branding, and our final podcast of 2025, we discuss all the great stuff that Apple fans have to look forward to in 2026.
Also on the Cult of Mac podcast:
Listen to this week’s episode of Cult of Mac 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 2, 1979: Entrepreneurs Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston incorporate their company Software Arts to publish a program called VisiCalc. The first spreadsheet software for the Apple II, VisiCalc ultimately becomes personal computing’s first “killer app.”
The software, which sells for $100, helps transform personal computers from “cool to have” toys into “must have” business accessories.
Reps & Sets 26 is a brand-new strength training app designed exclusively for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. It was developed by a long-time Cult of Mac contributor: me, Graham Bower.
Reps & Sets 26 isn’t just another generic cross-platform fitness app. I made it Apple-exclusive, to take full advantage of the latest OS 26 technologies like CloudKit, SwiftUI and HealthKit, to deliver a truly native experience. And right now, it’s a free download. Perfect timing for your New Year’s resolutions. Get Reps & Sets 26 now, and get ripped in 2026.
It’s the new year! I have three apps that’ll help your New Year resolutions, to make sure you don’t break your streak within the very first week.
Whether you’re trying to exercise more, work more efficiently or change your daily habits, these three apps will help you make a better 2026. Apple Fitness+ is a truly excellent service that serves up slick, highly produced videos that will help you work out. Toggl Track can help you stay focused at work, with running timers you can tag with projects and native calendar integration. And Goal Streak Calendar can help you achieve something new or break a nasty old habit, with daily reminders and streaks.
Check out our list to see how you can transform your 2026 with just three apps.
AnyTrans is a one-stop content manager for iOS devices. The Mac app makes it easy to transfer any kind of data — music, photos, texts, whatever — among all your Apple gear.
And for a limited time, you can get a lifetime subscription to AnyTrans for just $19.97 with code SYNC10 (regularly $79.99).
January 1, 1983: Apple launches the Apple IIe, the third model in the Apple II series — and the last before the Macintosh will arrive a year later.
It proves a big seller, and proof positive of the Apple II brand’s sustained value.
There’s a fun way to personalize your iPhone 17 Pro: tiny stickers around the camera. Social media is blowing up with pictures from people showing off how cool their handset looks with the new decorations.
The trend may have started in Korea, where it’s part of ponku — personalizing phones, cases, laptops, etc., with stickers. A recent iPhone 17 Pro ad made by a Korean wireless carrier certainly added fuel to the fire.
Set your Apple Watch time a few minutes ahead of the actual time and you might trick yourself out of running late every day. This is an officially supported feature, not a hack that will produce cascading, annoying side effects. And it doesn’t require you to set your smartwatch out of sync with internet time.
What will you gain? By running your Apple Watch a few minutes fast, you might nudge yourself to rush out the door a little earlier. And that might be enough to get you somewhere on time rather than late. If tardiness is a frequent problem for you, this little change could save your skin.
Stuck using an older version of Microsoft Office? This offer gets you a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home and Business 2021 for Mac for just $49.97. With a low one-time payment, you can bid farewell to Microsoft 365’s pesky recurring subscription fees. You’ll never need to pay again for Microsoft’s widely used software for work and school.
And if you need Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows, you can secure a lifetime license for even less: just $34.97.
Apple will improve the MacBook line in multiple ways during 2026. We’re not talking the usual “chip and ship” updates — major changes are on the way. Really, there’s never been a better time to be in the market for a macOS laptop.
We can look forward to a complete redesign, possibly including a touchscreen. Plus, the most affordable MacBook ever is also reportedly coming next year.
December 31, 2012: App piracy hub Hackulous shuts down, bringing an end to two of its most popular pieces of software, Installous and AppSync.
Before the shutdown, iPhone jailbreak tool Installous allowed users to install “cracked” or pirated apps on their iOS devices, thereby avoiding paying Apple and developers. AppSync let users sync their cracked apps with iTunes.
The shuttering of Hackulous is a clear sign that the iPhone jailbreaking era is coming to an end — and that the App Store’s revolutionary business model is sound.
Apple TV is poised for a banner year in 2026, with an impressive slate of new original series, highly anticipated spinoffs and beloved returning favorites. From cyberpunk epics to gripping thrillers, the Apple TV 2026 lineup helps cement the streamer’s reputation as a powerhouse for quality programming.
Here’s your complete guide to the most highly anticipated shows coming to Apple TV next year.