🥳 Safari turns 20

January 07, 2023

Today is a momentous day for Apple. Exactly 20 years ago, Steve Jobs took the wraps off the Safari web browser.

In our top post, Cult of Mac editor and publisher Leander Kahney recalls Safari's spotty early days and the browser's rocky path to redemption.

Plus, we put together a visual history of Apple's browser that will take you back in time.

Enjoy your weekend!

— Lewis Wallace, managing editor

P.S. Also on the bill: the latest on Apple's AR/VR headset. And, if you're a fan of either Mythic Quest or The Mosquito Coast, don't miss our recaps of this week's season finales.

News and opinion

The Safari browser turns 20 years old today, and I remember excitedly firing it up for the first time. When Steve Jobs introduced Safari at Macworld 2003, he described the brand-new browser as a speed demon and far easier to use than its competitors.

The company’s engineers have reportedly resorted to using a separate battery pack connected to the AR/VR headset by a wire. Other technical details emerged about the long-rumored headset as well.

Plus, more Apple leaks and rumors:

MagSafe is headed for non-Apple handsets. The Wireless Power Consortium is making Apple’s innovative wireless charging system for iPhone into an industry standard dubbed “Qi2.”

If you want a MacBook with 5G cellular wireless built into it, new data suggests you’re not alone. Like tablets, today’s slim and lightweight MacBooks are ready to go anywhere. There’s no reason to force them to depend on Wi-Fi or an iPhone hotspot.

How-tos

After Apple killed Dark Sky on January 1, many fans found themselves lamenting the loss of the groundbreaking weather app that offered hyperlocal forecasts. Luckily, you can re-create Dark Sky’s main features using a competing app called Carrot Weather. Alternatively, you can quickly tweak Apple’s built-in Weather app so it acts more like Dark Sky.

Now you can turn on Advanced Data Protection to encrypt iCloud Photos, Notes and more. Activating this new security feature is easy … once you find the switch buried in Settings. We can save you some time.

Notes and Reminders, two stock apps that come with every iPhone, iPad and Mac, are good for so much more than writing shopping lists and apologies on Twitter. Here's how to take advantage of powerful built-in features.

Apple Watch is highly resilient to being submerged in water. You don’t have to worry much about ruining the electronics inside — your biggest concern is the water triggering random stuff on the screen.

Lots of podcasts do live streams — and you can still use your phone to tune into radio stations online. Broadcasts, an app by independent developer Steven Troughton-Smith, makes listening to live music and radio very easy.

Deals

Owning a copy of Microsoft Office is simply essential in today’s remote and hybrid working world. Set yourself up to work or anywhere with a lifetime license for Microsoft Office Home and Business 2021 for Mac, on sale now for just $29.99 (regularly $349). We’ve also got Microsoft Office for Windows users at this incredible price. But hurry, the sale ends Sunday.

Investing in stocks is one of the best ways to grow your money -- if you know the ropes. You can learn exactly that with the easy-to-use Tykr stock screener tool. Usually $900, you can grab a lifetime subscription to the top-rated Pro Plan for just $119.99.

Imagine being able to see the world and speak the local language, wherever you are. It may sound like a superpower, but actually, all you need are a pair of cutting-edge translation headphones. Snag a pair for just $99.

Robocalls are an unfortunate trend, and they can expose phone owners of all ages to vulnerable situations. Shut that down with a subscription to RoboKiller spam call and text blocker.

Reviews and recommendations

Apple TV+ comedy Mythic Quest hits the end of season three this week with a bittersweet and very funny episode.

Plus, more Apple TV+ recaps:

If you're missing the iPod -- the revolutionary music player that Apple unceremoniously killed last year -- maybe an iPod-inspired Apple accessory will take the edge off.

The new Lululook Foldable Laptop Stand props up your MacBook at a range of angles, and can also lift the computer to a variety of heights. As a bonus, it also rotates so the notebook can be easily spun around.

Setups

There’s nothing like starting over in a brand-new year. One of the best ways to do it is to freshen things up in the place where you spend so much of your waking life — your workspace. But rather than just rewarding yourself with a thrilling new mouse pad, why not roll out a whole new computer setup?

It’s always nice to hear from professionals relying on Apple gear and finding it meets or even exceeds their expectations. That’s a good indicator that Cupertino is going in the right direction.

Some computer setups are simply music to our ears — almost literally, in some cases. This setup sees (and hears) an M1 MacBook Pro playing frontman to a band that includes a few pieces of key audio hardware and software as well as dual curved ultra-wide external displays.