I got hooked playing The New York Times’ daily games like Wordle and Connections, thanks mainly to a group chat with friends that started during the pandemic and continues to this day. Now the games are a part of my daily routine, for better or worse.
So far, only one of the games in Apple News+ has really sucked me into its orbit: I play Quartiles just about every morning.
That isn’t the only game that Apple News+ subscribers can play, though. In this weekend’s feature story, Cult of Mac writer D. Griffin Jones explores the allure of the other games in Apple’s portfolio (and also explains why he absolutely hates one of them).
Also in this edition of The Weekender:
The biggest tech news of the week came on Monday afternoon, when Apple announced that CEO Tim Cook will retire later this year. His replacement, John Ternus, is a hardware guy with a long history at the company. And he’s already promising that Apple will “change the world once again.”
As Ternus prepares to take control of Cupertino, Cult of Mac writer Ed Hardy has one strong piece of advice: Don’t screw this up.
Cult of Mac Editor in Chief Leander Kahney ponders the question, “Is Tim Cook Apple’s best CEO ever?”
We discussed the changes coming to Cupertino, and Cook’s massive impact on Apple, during this week’s Cult of Mac podcast. Listen or watch the video version (and subscribe if you like it!).
If you don’t already use iMessage effects, read our how-to and make your texts less boring. (Another Messages tip: You can schedule texts to go out later.)
Check out our roundup of the best minimalist Mac setups and prepare to be humbled.
What’s up with the disappearing Mac mini?
While that fine computer might be impossible to score, somehow the incredibly popular (and incredibly affordable) MacBook Neo is still available — and on sale! Plus, as always, Cult of Mac Deals offers big discounts on software (like Microsoft Office for Mac) and hardware (like a cool wireless CarPlay adapter). Shop our entire store for more deals.
Enjoy your weekend!
— Lewis Wallace, managing editor
Feature story
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