QuickTime

Today in Apple history: Intel and Microsoft face lawsuit for stealing Apple code

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Apple vs. Microsoft was one of the big tech battles of the 1990s.
Apple vs. Microsoft was one of the biggest tech battles of the 1990s.
Photo: Brian Turner/Flickr CC/Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

February 14: Today in Apple history: Intel and Microsoft face lawsuit for stealing Apple code February 14, 1995: Apple Computer extends a lawsuit against developer San Francisco Canyon Company to include Microsoft and Intel. The lawsuit concerns allegedly stolen Apple code that’s used to improve Microsoft’s Video for Windows technology.

The lawsuit comes to a head with Apple threatening a multibillion-dollar lawsuit against Microsoft. Meanwhile, Microsoft CEO Bill Gates threatens to cancel Office for Mac.

Today in Apple history: QuickTime brings video to the masses

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QuickTime brought multimedia to Macs -- and the masses.
QuickTime brought multimedia to Macs -- and the masses.
Photo illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

December 2: Today in Apple history: QuickTime brings video to the masses December 2, 1991: Apple ships its first public version of QuickTime, bringing video to Mac users running System 7.

Containing codecs for graphics, animation and video, QuickTime confirms Apple’s status as a leading multimedia tech company. The software also starts us all off on the path to playing video on our computers. This fundamental transformation of Macs into media machines eventually leads to iTunes Movies, YouTube and more.

Today in Apple history: QuickTime 5 takes the world by storm

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QuickTime 5 was being downloaded 1 million times every three days.
QuickTime 5 was being downloaded 1 million times every three days.
Photo: Apple

Nov. 28: Today in Apple history: QuickTime 5 downloads fuel web video revolution November 28, 2001: Apple says QuickTime 5 is being downloaded for Mac and PC a million times every three days, putting the multimedia software on track to exceed 100 million downloads in its first year of distribution. The announcement comes as websites adopt the MPEG-4 format, and online video begins to take off in a big way.

In particular, Apple’s movie trailer website proves a massive success. Millions of people download previews of upcoming blockbusters like Spider-Man and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Online trailer releases for films like The Lord of the Rings become buzz-worthy events.

In a pre-YouTube world, Apple has everything to gain!

Today in Apple history: iTunes ditches movie trailer downloads

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Apple's iTunes movie trailers go dark as streaming supplants downloads.
iTunes movie trailers go dark.
Photo: Tookapic/Pexels CC

May 24: Today in Apple history: iTunes ditches movie trailer downloads May 24, 2013: Apple begins phasing out the option for users to download movie trailers from its once enormously popular trailers.apple.com website.

The move signifies a major change taking place in the way customers consume digital content. Downloads will continue to decline as streaming services like YouTube and Netflix pick up steam.

How to record Apple Music from your iPhone to your Mac

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Send DRM or other audio up the USB cable, and record it.
Send DRM or other audio up the USB cable, and record it.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Did you know that you can record the music playing on your iPhone, to your Mac, straight up the USB cable? Just hook your Mac up to your iPhone (or iPad), using the Lighting cable that came in the box, and you can record anything. You could record songs from Beats One radio in Apple Music, for example.

It’s just like taping off the radio when you were a kid — or maybe when your dad was a kid — only better quality.

How to record Apple TV on your Mac, wirelessly

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record Apple TV quicktime
QuickTime Player can record all kinds of things.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Today we’re going to learn how to record a movie that’s playing on your Apple TV direct to your Mac, with no wires required, no weird hacks, and not even any third-party software. The tools are all built into every Mac that ships. To record a movie off the “screen” of your Apple TV, you’re going to use Apple’s QuickTime app, and one of its lesser-known but super-powerful features.

Should Apple abandon original video? [Friday Night Fight]

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Will Carpool Karaoke: The Series be Apple's first hit?
Will Carpool Karaoke: The Series be Apple's first hit?
Photo: Apple

This coming Tuesday Apple is set to debut its newest original TV show Carpool Karaoke: The Series, but with Planet of the Apps being such a dud, some of us at Cult of Mac are questioning whether Apple has anything to gain by making mediocre TV shows.

During Apple’s Q3 earnings call this week, Tim Cook said Apple will continue to explore original content for Apple Music. Can Apple actually make great TV shows, or is it losing focus on what’s more important?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we discuss Apple’s media ambitions:

11 awesome iOS 11 features Apple didn’t bother to mention

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The best gesture in iOS 11 isn't just for iPad.
The best gesture in iOS 11 isn't just for iPad.
Photo: Apple

Developers just got an early preview of Apple’s upcoming iOS 11 update for iPhones and iPads today during the company’s WWDC 2017 keynote in San Jose.

The new update packs some huge new features that make iOS more powerful and easier-to-use than ever. Apple’s update is so jam packed that some of the best new additions didn’t even get some stage time at WWDC.

WWDC over the years: How it became a tech juggernaut

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WWDC has been home to some seismic announcements over the years.
Photo: Daniel Spiess/Flickr CC

As Apple’s longest-running annual keynote event, it’s no surprise that WWDC has played host to some absolutely enormous announcements over the years.

From strategies that changed the company’s course to the debut of astonishing new products, here are our picks for the most important ones. Check out the list below.

Recover unsaved QuickTime files with this handy trick

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If you lost an audio file due to the dreaded QuickTime crash, this tip could save the day.
If you lost an audio file due to the dreaded QuickTime crash, this tip could save the day.
Image: PSD.Graphics/Ste Smith

When you’re recording audio in QuickTime, there’s nothing more frustrating than a crash before you’ve had time to click Save. But all is not lost: This handy trick can help you recover lost recordings in the QuickTime app.

It might just save you a whole lot of effort. Here’s how to use it.

Ex-NSA staffer reveals way to hack Mac’s camera and mic

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Mac App Store
You might want to put tape over your webcam.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Security researchers discovered a new way to hack the Mac’s built-in webcam this week, and the method is undetectable by users.

Apple built a green LED light into every Mac with firmware-level protection that turns on anytime the sensor is tripped by unauthorized access. The security feature has become increasingly difficult for hackers to beat, but former NSA staffer Patrick Wardle found a way to piggyback on outgoing feeds and record them.

Today in Apple history: QuickTime brings video to the Mac

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bigger_
QuickTime was a breakthrough for Macs.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

July 8 July 8, 1991: The first beta version of QuickTime arrives, making it possible for people to play movies on their Macs for the first time, with no extra hardware needed.

While allowing videos to run on a computer seems par for the course in 2016, QuickTime represented an enormous leap forward in 1991 — and cemented Apple’s position as a groundbreaking computer company for creatives.

Windows users should delete QuickTime ASAP

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Apple is killing QuickTime for Windows.
Apple is killing QuickTime for Windows.
Photo: Apple

Apple is finally giving up on QuickTime for Windows, but the company doesn’t plan to fix a few critical flaws that still linger with the software.

If for some reason you’re still using QuickTime for Windows, it would be a really good idea to just uninstall it right now.

How to record your iPhone or iPad screen with QuickTime

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iPhone Screen Capture
Start capturing your iOS gaming with this handy trick!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

There are many reasons you may want to record your iPhone screen: demonstrations, tutorials, gaming and much more.

Sure, there are apps out there that can do this for you, but the only downside is that they use up valuable storage space on your iPhone or iPad. In this week’s Quick Tips video, I’m going to show you how to record your iOS device to your Mac in under a minute.

How Steve Jobs brought skeuomorphism back to Apple in 1999

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Photo: Dokas / CC Flickr
Photo: Dokas / CC Flickr

Although he gets most of the blame for it, skeuomorphism wasn’t really Scott Forstall’s fault. He was just following the orders of his boss and mentor, Steve Jobs. The man who gave the world the first skeumorphic consumer operating system, the Macintosh, loved computer interfaces with gaudy textures that made them look more like real-world things.

In fact, if it were not for Steve Jobs’s love of skeuomorphism, Apple’s design language might have been a lot flatter a lot earlier. When Steve Jobs came back to Apple in 1999, the company was moving away from skeuomorphic design… but Jobs bought it back, with the famous brushed metal texture in the Quicktime app.

Apple doesn’t want you posting your messy iOS screenshots on the web anymore

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Screen Shot 2014-08-07 at 8.53.18 AM

It seems like a strange thing, but people who write about iOS apps on the web are often ashamed of their status bars. When they post screenshots of an app, they feel embarrassed by the fact that they don’t have a full signal from their cellular carrier, or a clear connection to WiFi, or 100% battery life. It’s an expression of the pursuit of perfection that marks Apple and its fans as a whole.

You wouldn’t think this is a pathology that Apple would really care about. But apparently, it does. And in OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, they’ve figured out a way to fix it.

Get 8 Essential Apps With The German Mac Bundle Featuring Parallels 8 [Deals]

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CoM - German Bundle

(Um die Details dieser Abmachung in deutscher Sprache zu lesen, klicken Sie hier.)

A bundle that contains 8 tremendous Mac apps at a ridiculously low price is rare, but one that contains those apps in German is nearly unheard of. Well, that’s what you’ll get with The German Mac Bundle – 8 killer apps (including apps like TextExpander, Soulver, and the ever-popular Parellels Desktop 8) in the German language for only €49.99 (that’s $65 USD)!

Last Chance to Pay What You Want For 10 Elite Mac Apps [Deals]

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CoM - NYOP2

Our last “name your own price bundle” performed so well that we’re bringing a second one to our Cult of Mac readers. And once again we’ve delivered 10 top Mac Apps for a price that only you can name with The Name Your Own Price Bundle 2.0!

That’s right. You pay what you want for 3 different Mac Apps that will make you faster and more efficient on your Mac including: HoudahSpot, Elmedia Player Pro, and PhotoBulk. And, if you pay more than the average price, you’ll also receive Snapz Pro X, CrossOver XI, DiskTools Pro, Gemini, Mac Blu-Ray Player, Musictube, and Paperless.

We’ve chosen three charities, Child’s Play, World Wildlife Fund, and Creative Commons, that we believe make a significant positive impact across the globe. 10% of your entire purchase will go to help one of those charities – whichever one you choose!

Turn Images On Your Mac Into Rotatable Objects With Boxshot VR [Deals]

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CoM - BoxshotVR

Want to easily create interactive 3D objects on your Mac for the web? Want something so simple that no Flash or QuickTime plugins are required to run them – which means the objects will even work on your iPhone or iPad as well? Want to save 51% on such a software solution in the process?

Well, now you can with Boxshot VR and Cult of Mac Deals.

In today’s world it can be really difficult to set a website apart from the rest. BoxshotVR is here to help bring a unique UX to any page by making it easy for you to create interactive 3D objects that you can add to any site. Not only will it help a website stand out but it will also help you put a new twist on anyone’s website. Cult of Mac Deals is offering you an opportunity to pick up Boxshot VR for only $23.99 – but only for a limited time.

Animate Any Images With CrazyTalk7 Pro For Mac [Deals]

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CoM - CrazyTalk

Sometimes Cult of Mac Deals is able to offer you a deal on something that you might not need to use all the time, but could come in handy when you want to stretch your creativity on a project – or simply do something fun for family and friends. This is one of those offers.

CrazyTalk7 Pro for Mac is the most popular facial animation tool that uses sound and text to vividly animate facial images. With this groundbreaking Auto Motion technology, you just need to import images, specify the facial feature points and record your own voice to automatically generate lip-syncs to create 3D life-like, talking videos. And we’ve got CrazyTalk7 Pro for Mac for 33% off the regular price – just $99.99 – for a limited time!

Get 10 Mac Apps Worth $399 At A Price You Choose To Pay [Deals]

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CoM - NYOP2

Our last “name your own price bundle” performed so well that we’re bringing a second one to our Cult of Mac readers. And once again we’ve delivered 10 top Mac Apps for a price that only you can name with The Name Your Own Price Bundle 2.0!

That’s right. You pay what you want for 3 different Mac Apps that will make you faster and more efficient on your Mac including: HoudahSpot, Elmedia Player Pro, and PhotoBulk. And, if you pay more than the average price, you’ll also receive Snapz Pro X, CrossOver XI, DiskTools Pro, Gemini, Mac Blu-Ray Player, Musictube, and Paperless.

We’ve chosen three charities, Child’s Play, World Wildlife Fund, and Creative Commons, that we believe make a significant positive impact across the globe. 10% of your entire purchase will go to help one of those charities – whichever one you choose!

Pay What You Want For 10 Top Mac Apps Worth $399 [Deals]

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CoM - NYOP2

Our last “name your own price bundle” performed so well that we’re bringing a second one to our Cult of Mac readers. And once again we’ve delivered 10 top Mac Apps for a price that only you can name with The Name Your Own Price Bundle 2.0!

That’s right. You pay what you want for 3 different Mac Apps that will make you faster and more efficient on your Mac including: HoudahSpot, Elmedia Player Pro, and PhotoBulk. And, if you pay more than the average price, you’ll also receive Snapz Pro X, CrossOver XI, DiskTools Pro, Gemini, Mac Blu-Ray Player, Musictube, and Paperless.

We’ve chosen three charities, Child’s Play, World Wildlife Fund, and Creative Commons, that we believe make a significant positive impact across the globe. 10% of your entire purchase will go to help one of those charities – whichever one you choose!

Ending Soon! Keep Your Mac Clean With CleanMyMac Double Pack [Deals]

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CoM - CleanMyMac

So you got a new Mac over the holidays. (Or your old Mac makes you wish that you did.)

Well, this Cult of Mac Deals offer will keep that newly-minted Mac running like the day it was unboxed and get your old Mac running like new again. With this exclusive promotion you’ll get the CleanMyMac Double Pack which will keep two of your Macs clean and free of clutter – for life – and for only $25!

Keep Your Mac Clean With CleanMyMac Double Pack [Deals]

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CoM - CleanMyMac

So you got a new Mac over the holidays. (Or your old Mac makes you wish that you did.)

Well today’s Cult of Mac Deals offer will keep that newly-minted Mac running like the day it was unboxed and get your old Mac running like new again. With this exclusive promotion you’ll get the CleanMyMac Double Pack which will keep two of your Macs clean and free of clutter – for life – and for only $25!