The experience of flying these days is a miserable ordeal.
It used to be great: no security, lots of drinks, and smoking allowed at the back of the cabin!
(I used to have a terrible fear of flying until I got my doctor to prescribe some antianxiety pills, and amazingly, my phobia disappeared after a couple of doped-up flights. I still don’t relish flying, but I no longer spend the entire flight white-knuckling the armrest while tormented with visions of terror.)
To make things worse, the latest AirPods Pro 3, which have great active noise cancellation and were arguably designed for flying, can make a weird whistling sound after you take to the air.
The problem isn’t widespread, but it is definitely real — forums are lit up with complaints.
We break it down and offer a couple of handy tips if you’re about to take a trip and are worried your brand-new earbuds might let you down.
Also in today’s newsletter:
Apple plans to switch iPad screens from pretty good LCDs to absolutely gorgeous OLEDs. Here’s when each model will get the expected upgrade.
A lot of people are waiting for iOS 26.1, which is currently in beta. It’s the first big upgrade to iOS 26, when a lot of bugs should be ironed out. Wise and cautious users (unlike me) often wait for this release before upgrading. The good news is it’ll likely drop next week.
I was a big fan of the early seasons of Apple TV spy series Slow Horses. I tried to watch the latest season, too, but what happened to that show? It’s awful! This doesn’t make me keen to check out Down Cemetery Road from the same writer, which just started streaming. Emma Thompson’s usually pretty good, though.
If you have a complicated MacBook setup with external monitors, hard drives and other peripherals, take a look at this blazing-fast Thunderbolt 5 docking station. We reviewed it and found that while it’s not perfect, it is pretty good.
— Leander Kahney, EIC.
A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team
A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team
Cult of Mac’s buyback program
Tweets of the day
iPad mini is the purest form of iPad today 🤤
I use it everyday in so many facets of my life from web browsing to baby monitor to personal finance to viewfinder for my Sony a6100.
Nothing else on the market quite like this with this form factor.
What do you think in info
— #Fernando Silva (#@nandoprince93)
5:16 PM • Oct 29, 2025
Top 11 out of the box Apple ads of all time
a thread 🧵
— #Apple Design (#@TheAppleDesign)
4:05 PM • Oct 29, 2025
What if iPhone 17 Pro just had orange accents?
— #Asher (#@asherdipps)
8:59 PM • Oct 27, 2025
Wallpaper of the day
iPad Wallpaper 💛
— #iPad Wallpaper X (#@iPadWallX)
6:34 PM • Oct 29, 2025
One more thing ...
Funny enough, 20 years after we started Apple, there was nobody building computers for people again. You know? They were trying to sell consumers last year's corporate computers. We said, “Well, these are our roots. This is why we're here. The world doesn't need another Dell or Compaq. They need an Apple.”
Today’s poll
Have you had problems with AirPods Pro ANC?
Results from yesterday’s poll: How do you feel about Steve Jobs' yacht?
Best reader comments
A message from 1440 Media
Daily News for Curious Minds
Be the smartest person in the room by reading 1440! Dive into 1440, where 4 million Americans find their daily, fact-based news fix. We navigate through 100+ sources to deliver a comprehensive roundup from every corner of the internet – politics, global events, business, and culture, all in a quick, 5-minute newsletter. It's completely free and devoid of bias or political influence, ensuring you get the facts straight. Subscribe to 1440 today.
Subscribe to The Weekender — Get the week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.