Charisma is hard to judge, but apparently Apple doesn’t have it. Or at least it’s less charismatic than many rivals, including Amazon and Google.
“Compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others,” is how the Oxford dictionary defines charisma. Since Apple is known for generating a legion of fans — a cult, if you will — one would expect it to sit at the top of a new survey judging the charisma of various brands. Instead, the iPhone-maker ranked eighth.
Anyone afraid that the robot apocalypse is imminent might head to the panic room now: Reports are coming in that Amazon’s Alexa smart speaker has begun laughing all on its own.
People who claim to have experienced this generally say they’re not interacting with their Amazon Echo, but it will suddenly begin laughing. Many of the descriptions describe the robolaughter as “creepy.”
Ring, known for its doorbells that can stream live video to phones, has been purchased by Amazon. iPhone users afraid of getting locked out of the system needn’t fret, though, because Ring has promised that it’s still working on adding HomeKit support.
Tablet sales are still on the rise worldwide and based on a new report from the International Data Corporation, Apple’s iPad is one of the biggest reasons why.
The IDC published its latest analysis of the tablet market today and according to the firm’s analysts, the detachable tablet market grew 10.3% this past holiday season compared to the year before and Apple was one of the only companies to see much growth.
ARKit hasn’t produced any apps that are absolutely must-haves, but that could soon change with iOS 11.3.
Apple has added some new ARKit features in the updates slated for release this spring. iOS developer Andrew Hart has already created a demo that utilizes the image recognition tools to identify books on a store shelf while providing reviews and ratings from the internet.
Prepare to be amazed:
Apple is working on a major iBooks overhaul for iOS 11.3, according to a new report.
The company has hired a former Amazon and Barnes & Noble executive to help reboot its e-book business, which will also see the launch of a new reader for iPhone and iPad.
Don’t make the mistake of comparing HomePod to rival smart speakers and lamenting its $349 price tag. There are good reasons why the device costs more than three times as much as an Amazon Echo — and yet is still an absolute steal.
Siri is now “actively” used on more than half a billion devices, Apple has revealed. The virtual assistant, which will be used to control HomePod, has been attracting users at a rapid rate despite falling behind its competitors in features and accuracy.
It’s 2018, the era of the side hustle. Because these days, everybody could use a little extra cash. And like everything else, you can find it online. That is, if you know what you’re doing.
Amazon is rolling out an update to the Kindle Oasis which activates a hitherto-dormant Bluetooth chip, allowing you to connect it to speakers and headphones. That includes your Apple AirPods, if you have some. Today we’ll see how to connect and use your AirPods with your Kindle Oasis, and take a look at the other new features in this recent update.
Amazon is finally back in the business of selling Apple TVs.
The online retail giant stopped selling Apple’s set-top-boxes back in 2015. But the company is extending an olive branch to both Apple and Google and has created new listings for the Apple TV and Chromecast.
American tech companies are a some of the most effectively managed businesses in the world, according to a new landmark system that ranked the top 250 companies.
Even though Apple is the world’s most profitable company, the rankings found that Amazon is actually the most efficiently run business. But Apple follows at a close second.
Spotify is in for a rough future, according to Apple’s Jimmy Iovine, who is warning the music industry not to place too much faith in the tech industry.
Iovine sat down for a new interview where he discussed the future of the music industry. According to the Apple Music boss, record labels are “100 percent” overly optimistic about where things are headed with technology.
The holiday season is finally upon us and you know what that means? Killer deals on all the tech gadgets you’ve been lusting after all year.
Cyber Monday deals for 2017 are already setting the internet into a tizzy of anticipation with big discounts on 4K TVs, smart speakers, drones, iPads, smartphones and much more. Cult of Mac will be rounding up the best deals right here so you can spend less time Cyber Monday shopping and get on with life.
Here are the best deals worth checking out:
Apple will $4.2 billion per year on original video content by 2022, according to a recent report, citing Loup Ventures analyst Gene Munster.
The sum is a massive increase on the rumored $1 billion “war chest” that Apple will spend in 2018, although it will still trail behind Netflix and Amazon when it comes to their respective video budgets.
One of the key suppliers for the iPhone X is fueling speculation that Apple is working on a standalone augmented reality product.
Catcher Tech, which makes metal casings for Apple products like the iPhone, iPad and MacBooks says that it is planning to start making metal components for AR products.
A fun dogfighting flight sim that sees you shoot down enemy jets and gunships in scintillating styles is just one of our picks for this week’s “Awesome Apps” roundup. We’ve also got a superb grammar-oriented third party keyboard, a brilliant augmented reality update to a big retail app, and a fun RPG that’ll keep you busy for days.
Check out our picks below.
The iPhone X is almost here. Preorders have been taken, so now it’s time to spend the rest of the week until delivery choosing accessories for your new iPhone X.
Unlike the iPhone 8, which fits perfectly into (most) existing iPhone 7 cases, the iPhone X needs new clothes. Here are the best and/or most interesting iPhone 8 cases so far.
Amazon is taking a page out of Ikea’s playbook with an iOS app update today that allows users to see what furniture and other items would look like in their home.
The new Kindle Oasis was just launched, and it looks amazing. It has the same super-slim form as the current Oasis, along with the asymmetric shape and hardware page-change buttons, only now it also has a bigger 7-inch screen, better battery life, and it is waterproof. It’s even cheaper than the current model.
Luckily, this new Oasis doesn’t go on sale until the end of October, so you still have a few weeks to buy the old one while you still can.
Chinese companies copying Silicon Valley tech giants, and thereby infringing on intellectual property rights, is something that has been an issue for years.
It seems that U.S. tech companies are striking back, however, with a trade group that represents companies including Apple, Google, and IBM speaking out against Chinese regulators at an International Trade Commission hearing this week.
Apple’s obsession with lopping ports off its devices has spawned a whole industry of dangling dongles. Every time Apple removes hole to slim down an iPhone or a MacBook, or to make space for a bigger battery, somebody else fills that gap with an external widget that does the exact same thing, only messier and more expensive.
The latest in this dongle parade is the AmazonBasics Lightning to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Audio Adapter with Remote and Lightning Charging Port, a product whose name tells you almost everything you need to know.
Apple is set to make its biggest push into original content yet by inking a deal with one of the biggest directors in Hollywood history.
Steven Spielberg and Apple reportedly will create new episodes of Amazing Stories. The science fiction anthology series originally ran in the 1980s on NBC, but will be relaunched with all-new episodes.
Apple’s plan to dominate the 4K TV streaming market is up against some tough competition from the top company in the game.
Fresh off its IPO, Roku revealed its brand new lineup of streaming dongles today and while they may not pack as much processing power as the new Apple TV 4K, they have one killer feature that will lure in tons of buyers: a cheap price tag.
Amazon revealed not one, not two, not three, not four, but five Echo-based products at a huge event today at its headquarters in Seattle.
The wave of gadgets, which also included a new TV dongle, is ready to take on Apple’s HomePod speaker and Apple TV 4K with some pretty impressive features. Even more impressive, though, are their incredibly low price tags. It makes you wonder how Apple possibly can compete.
Here’s all the stuff Amazon just revealed.