Alex Heath - page 4

Inside Apple’s top secret health lab

By

abc_applefitness_le_150319_16x9_992
Where no camera crew has gone before. Photo: ABC News

Apple rarely gives tours of its facilities, but it showed ABC News the inner workings of its top secret health lab for the purpose of hyping the upcoming Apple Watch.

Located in an unassuming lot near its Cupertino headquarters on 1 Infinite Loop, Apple employees have been working out for years in secret to collect valuable health and fitness data.

Apple makes targeted ads possible on iTunes Radio

By

Photo: Apple
Photo: Apple

Apple is beefing up its iAd network for iTunes Radio by making it easy for advertisers to target certain customers. Like iAds for apps, advertisers can also buy their own audio ads without having to go through Apple’s sales team.

The change seems geared towards making advertising on iTunes Radio a more attractive opportunity, especially now that brands can use Customer Match, Apple’s ad-targeting system.

Get ready for used Apple Watch trade-ins

By

post-316410-image-46988e34c579f41d2999e6410bc88904-jpg
Apple Watch - useful, or just a trend? Photo: Apple

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Apple Watch is how well its value will stand the test of time. Will Apple offer some sort of upgrade program for the opulent 10K Edition model? Will the tech-laden timepiece on your wrist be obsolete in two years?

Gazelle is banking on there being a thriving market for used Apple Watches as early adopters upgrade, much like there already is for used iPhones and iPads. The company announced its new trade-in program today ahead of the Watch’s April release.

How Apple is sweetening the deal for potential TV partners

By

Apple's new improved TV could be coming as early as this fall.
Content creators want to know what people are watching, and Apple is willing to help. Photo: Robert S. Donovan
Photo: Robert S. DonovanFlickr CC

Apple is planning its own cable-free TV service for a fall launch, and it’s pulling out all the stops to lure potential content partners.

According to a new report, networks Apple is courting have been offered complete access to viewer data, such as what shows they watch and when they watch them. It’s an unusually friendly negotiating approach for Apple that signals the company really wants to get the service off the ground soon.

Apple TV streaming service coming in June with 25 channels

By

Adobe reports breaks down why refreshed Apple TV is going to be the biggest thing since sliced bread.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

It’s looking like 2015 will finally be the year that Apple’s dream TV service becomes a reality.

After years of reports that the company has been trying to get its own TV subscription off the ground, June is on track to be the month it’s debuted for the world to see. The service will reportedly offer around 25 channels and cost a little more than the competition.

12 accessories to trick out your Apple Watch

By

Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo:

The Apple Watch isn’t available for preorder yet, but that hasn’t stopped accessory makers from proudly showcasing their wares for the upcoming device.

We still don’t know if Apple will let Apple Watch accessories connect directly into the smartwatch’s mysterious port, but there will be plenty of fancy stands and even some third-party bands.

Here are 12 Apple Watch accessories to trick out your fancy new wearable:

Tim Cook’s ‘surprise’ call shakes up Mad Money

By

Photo: CNBC
Photo: CNBC

Who knew that Tim Cook was a Mad Money fan? The Apple CEO surprised CNBC’s Jim Cramer by calling in today to congratulate the show host on his 10th anniversary of being on air.

The two men discussed ResearchKit, dealing with competition, Apple’s incredible growth on Wall Street over the last decade, and more.

Apple unlocks iOS betas for everyone, not just developers

By

Photo: Cult of Mac
Want to get in on the newest versions of iOS before everyone else? Now's your chance. Photo: Jim Merithew/ Cult of Mac

For the first time, Apple has made it possible for those without an App Store developer membership to use iOS betas. Anyone can legitimately download and install today’s iOS 8.3 beta by joining Apple’s official Beta Testing Program.

OS X Yosemite was the first software release that could be beta tested by non-devs, and now that Apple has flung open the gates on iOS, many more people will likely opt-in to be on the cutting edge of where the operating system is headed.

Apple is totally not buying Tesla — so don’t even ask

By

The billionaire founder of Tesla, Elon Musk, has been aggressively poaching Apple engineers.
Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Tesla, has been aggressively poaching Apple engineers.

If you’re an Apple shareholder who wants the company to buy Tesla, you are not alone. At the iPhone maker’s annual shareholder meeting in Cupertino yesterday, Tim Cook dodged not one, but two questions about whether Apple has plans to buy the electric car company.

While Apple is the ultimate example of a corporation that refuses to comment on rumors or speculation, Cook could have given a flat-out “no” and that would have been the end of it.

Instead, the Apple CEO danced around the question like he had a secret to hide.

Everything we do (and still don’t) know about Apple Watch

By

Photo: Apple
Photo: Apple

Apple blew us away today with its HBO Now partnership, sexy new MacBook, and ResearchKit. But the star of the show was Apple Watch, which has the potential to be either a game changer or massive flop.

For those who don’t remember, this was the second time Apple execs have taken the stage to talk Apple Watch. We got an initial preview of the Watch back in September, and today’s event was more for filling in the knowledge gaps.

While we already knew the Watch’s main selling points and the kinds of apps it would run, there was still some crucial information that needed answering. Luckily Apple did address the most important questions, but it also left certain aspects of the Watch in ambiguity.

What your favorite apps look like on the Apple Watch

By

Apple Watch isn't being too closely, err, watched. Photo: Apple
Photo: Apple

What will make or break the Apple Watch for most people isn’t a fancy band or the feel of the Digital Crown. It will be the apps they can use.

And after today’s Spring Forward event, it looks like a lot of apps will be ready for Watch on day one.

There won’t be an App Store on the Watch itself, but you’ll be able to install apps directly from a special section of the App Store on a paired iPhone. Here are what the hottest third-party Watch apps will look like, including ones Apple isn’t showing off on its site:

iOS 8.2 is here with an Apple Watch app you can’t delete

By

Photo: Apple
Photo: Apple

Apple’s big keynote just ended, and iOS 8.2 has already been released.

The update includes the new companion app for the Apple Watch, which will be required for setting up the device and loading apps. It also can’t deleted, which means it will be a constant reminder of the Watch you don’t.

Here’s what the official Apple Watch app looks like:

Liveblog: Time to answer all your Apple Watch questions

By

Ready to Spring Forward. Photo: Jim Merithew/ Cult of Mac
Ready to "Spring Forward?" Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple is hosting a big media event today in San Fransisco for the hotly anticipated Apple Watch. It’s been about six months since the Watch was first shown off to world, but plenty of questions still need answering, like pricing beyond the $349 base model and when the wearable will go on sale. App demos should also be a big part of today’s presentation, because killer software will be instrumental in convincing people to buy an Apple Watch.

And who knows, there could always be some surprise Mac news.

The event starts at 10 a.m. Pacific, and Apple will provide a (hopefully working) live stream on its website. We’ll be breaking down all the news you need to know, with expert analysis and the usual pinch of sass. We invite you to follow along with us below. No need to refresh the page; the liveblog updates on its own!

Awesome apps you might have missed this week

By

Awesome-Apps-of-the-Week

It’s the weekend, and Cult of Mac is here to bring you a roundup of all the app awesomeness you might have missed from the last week.

There’s a hot new video streaming app called Meerkat that’s taking the tech world by storm, a fun new game that’s totally free, a widget-based app to keep you on top of the news, the Microsoft Office 2016 beta preview, and more.

Without further ado, here are this week’s awesome apps!


Awesome Apps

Why Apple joining the Dow Jones is a big deal

By

Tim Cook has pushed the green agenda during his time as Apple CEO.
Tim Cook has led Apple to new heights. Photo: Bloomberg

On March 19, the world’s most valuable company will join the world’s top stock index.

In a feat of great irony, Apple is replacing none other than AT&T on the Dow Jones Industrial Average this month. And even if you don’t care about the stock market, for Apple it’s a big deal.

What to expect from Apple’s ‘Spring Forward’ Watch event

By

Apple is taking over the Yerba Buena Center in San Fransisco. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Apple is taking over the Yerba Buena Center in San Fransisco. Photo:Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple’s March 9 “Spring Forward” event is just around the corner, and its tagline can only mean one thing: Apple Watch news galore.

Scheduled for the day after daylight saving time kicks in, we expect Apple to shower us with details about the upcoming wearable, including pricing and availability. Select Apple Watch apps from App Store developers will likely be shown off as well to whet our appetites for what’s to come.

While there’s a chance some new Mac hardware could share the stage Monday, we expect the event to focus mostly on all the unanswered questions surrounding the Apple Watch.

What are those questions? Glad you asked:

Samsung’s latest iPhone clone doesn’t stop at hardware

By

iPhone 6 on top, Galaxy S6 on bottom. Can you spot the differences? Photo: The Wall Street Journal
iPhone 6 on top, new Galaxy S6 on bottom. Can you spot the differences? Photo: The Wall Street Journal

It’s easy to see how Samsung ripped off the iPhone with the Galaxy S6’s hardware. The metallic frame with chamfered edges, antenna bands, and very familiar port positioning is blatantly taken from the iPhone 6.

But Samsung hasn’t just copied the way the iPhone looks physically. It’s also replicated elements of iOS in a way that’s so evident it’s embarrassing.

Becoming Steve Jobs bio promises to set the record straight with Apple’s blessing

By

becoming-steve-jobs-cover

A new book about Steve Jobs is coming later this month, and it’s the first look at the late Apple co-founder that the company has aided in making since Walter Isaacson’s biography.

Becoming Steve Jobs is written by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli, two veteran journalists who scored interviews with people like Tim Cook, Jony Ive, Eddy Cue, Pixar’s John Lasseter, Disney CEO Bob Iger, and Jobs’ widow, Laurene Powell Jobs.

Apple’s ‘Shot with iPhone’ ad campaign crowdsources spectacular photos

By

shot with iphone 1
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new ad campaign might be its best yet, especially if you’re one of the iPhone owners that’s about to have your photo on a billboard.

Simply called “Shot on iPhone,” it’s hard to call Apple’s campaign an ad at all — at least in the traditional sense. Apple crowdsourced photos shot with the iPhone by normal people around the world, and the result is a testament to just how incredible iPhone photography has become.