Type faster on your Mac

January 14, 2023

Why waste time slowly moving your cursor through documents on your Mac? The easy-to-use shortcuts outlined in this week's top story will turn you into a speed demon on the keys.

Our how-to writer D. Griffin Jones lays them out in a quick post (and also in a video, which you'll find in the story). Commit these simple shortcuts to memory, and they'll pay dividends for the rest of your computing career.

Mac tips aside, it's been a big week for Apple rumors. Don't miss the latest stories on what to expect from iPhone 15 and the shocking possibility of touchscreen Macs.

Enjoy your weekend!

— Lewis Wallace, managing editor

P.S. Heads up, psychological horror fans: M. Night Shyamalan's stellar series Servant returns this week for its fourth and final season. Read our rave recap of the season opener!

How-tos

You want to get faster at typing? Sure, you can hold down the Backspace key or mash it really fast. But there’s a better and more precise way to backspace and delete text on the Mac, using the Option (⌥) and Command (⌘) keys. These Mac keyboard shortcuts can make editing text lightning-fast and seamless. Here’s how you can become a keyboard wizard.

Traveling is a lot easier if you can keep track of your luggage with AirTags. Here are some tips for making the most of Apple's tracking tags while on the road.

It’s a new year, a fine time to clear out some of the mistakes of the past. That includes no longer paying for subscriptions for apps or services you don’t use anymore.

iPhone users can now find a parking space with Apple Maps. A new feature shows parking options for more than 8,000 locations across North America.

News and opinion

Apple now has engineers “actively engaged in the project” of adding touchscreens to Mac computers, starting with the popular MacBook Pro. According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, a consistent and reliable leaker, the first Mac with a touchscreen display could ship as soon as 2025. The product is evidently still being tested internally, with no definitive […]

Plus, more Mac rumors:

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast, we can't stop speculating about touchscreen Macs and the onerous, belt-mounted battery pack that supposedly will accompany Apple's long-rumored headset.

Apple is reportedly phasing out traditional buttons, starting with the iPhone 15 Pro models. The handsets will still seem to have them, but it’ll be a high-tech trick performed with haptic feedback. The change should make the iOS devices more durable and waterproof.

Plus, more iPhone rumors:

Crime novelist Dennis Lehane and his chilling Black Bird star Paul Walter Hauser discuss their critically acclaimed Apple TV+ show, which is racking up nominations as awards season gets underway.

The iPhone 15 is expected to get a face-lift along with other design changes, and a new concept video and images present a very early look at the handset Apple might launch this autumn.

Apple could start shipping the second-generation AirPods Max and budget earbuds in the second half of 2024 at the earliest.

The company’s top executive will receive “only” $49 million in compensation this year. And he requested the change himself!

At this year’s massive tech conference in Las Vegas, two promising displays were announced by Samsung and Dell. Any new Retina display options for the Mac are a welcome treat.

Deals

Owning a copy of Microsoft Office is simply essential in today’s remote and hybrid working world. Set yourself up to work from home — or anywhere at all — with a lifetime license for Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 for Mac. It’s on sale at the all-time low price of $25 (regularly $349) for the next three days only.

The SwitchEasy Flash Sale on all iPhone 14 cases started Wednesday and lasts for one week (through January 18) in the Cult of Mac Store. That means you get 20% off any of 10 different cases to protect and dress up your fabulous Apple handset.

The Ninja Dragon Alpha Z comes outfitted with twin hi-resolution cameras — and you can get one for less than $100.

Plus, more deals on gear you'll love:

Normally going for nearly $1,800, this bundle pairs Rosetta Stone with StackSkills Unlimited, which is loaded with classes led by more than 350 experts, all at a very steep discount.

Reviews and recommendations

The most joyous and unhinged show on Apple TV+ returns for its fourth and final season this week. The saga of the Turner family and their live-in nanny can’t help but disappoint, just because it’s going away. Unbound from ordinary televisual constraints, both dramatically and visually, Servant serves as a vivid representation of its creators’ raging id. It's one of the most wonderful pleasures on television.

Plus, more Apple TV+ recaps and reviews:

With so many apps to choose from, knowing the ones we (the Cult of Mac team) actually used and loved this last year might help you nail that New Year’s resolution.

If you’re looking for an Apple Watch band worthy of a black-tie dinner and a dip in the ocean afterward, consider this one.

Your Mac and MacBook can easily share a monitor, and quickly flip between them, with the IOGear 2-Port 4K USB-C KVM Switch with DisplayPort Output. It really reduces the hassle of switching between two computers. And it lets the computers easily share a wired mouse and keyboard.

Setups

Some computer setups are more Apple-ish than others. Apple-y. Apple-centric. This M1 Max MacBook Pro outfit welcomes a new Studio Display to replace a recently “retired” 20-inch Cinema Display, and that’s just the start of the Cupertino madness. Almost everything else in the setup is Apple, too.

With modern computer displays, you can have brilliant colors, tons of screen real estate and even a cool curve in the screen. But will you be happy reading text on it? That’s not necessarily a sure thing.

So many people love Apple gear because the Cupertino tech giant gets a lot right with its hardware. That certainly includes monitors, and not just the phenomenal Pro Display XDR and new Studio Display. A fair number of new computer setups rely on classic Apple screens.