Brad Gibson - page 7

Tim Cook calls for global overhaul of corporate taxes

By

Tim Cook delivers the goods at Apple's iPhone 11 event.
Cook says worldwide corporate tax reform is "desperately" needed and that Euroepan privacy regulation needs tightening.
Photo: Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook called for worldwide corporate tax reform Monday, saying the tech giant “desperately” wants the system to be fair.

Speaking in Ireland at an awards event, Cook said he thinks “logically everybody knows it needs to be rehauled. I would certainly be the last person to say that the current system or the past system was the perfect system.”

FBI cracks iPhone Pro 11, raising doubts about demand for Apple backdoor

By

Apple Store employee fired after stealing personal photo from customers' iPhone
Why is the FBI demanding Apple help to create a ‘backdoor’ to unlock iPhones when it has GrayKey? That's a good question.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Revelations that the FBI has access to a tool that can unlock data on secure iPhones are raising questions as to why the agency is demanding Apple help to create a “backdoor” to recover data on the iPhones of a Florida shooting suspect.

Trump calls for Apple to ‘step up’ and unseal iPhones used by ‘killers, drug dealers’

By

Apple CEO Tim Cook talked Mac Pro with President Trump
President Trump called on Apple to cooperate and unlock two iPhones belonging to a gunman who killed three in Florida in December.
Photo: White House

President Donald Trump called on Tuesday for Apple to “step up to the plate” and “help our great country” by unlocking the iPhones used by a Saudi aviation student that killed three people at a Florida Navy base in December.

Apple denies AG Barr’s calls of no help to unlock Pensacola killer’s iPhones

By

Tim Cook & Apple stand behind its stance that iPhone encryption is "vital to protecting our country and our users' data."

Apple denied late Monday that it has not cooperated with U.S. federal authorities to help unlock a pair of iPhone’s believed to have belonged to a Saudi aviation student that killed three people at a Florida Navy base in December, saying it always works with law enforcement in their investigations and directly contradicting claims by the U.S. Attorney General that it had not given “substantive assistance.”

JBL enters Dolby Atmos space with Airplay 2-ready, wireless soundbar

By

JBL Bar 9.1
Speaker company JBL week announced this week the JBL Bar 9.1, a new soundbar with AirPlay 2 support.
Photo: JBL


CES 2020
JBL used CES this week to introduce an AirPlay 2-ready soundbar with Dolby Atmos support and a unique take on wireless rear speakers.

Instead of cables running through the room or wireless speakers plugged into the wall for power, the JBL Bar 9.1 uses wireless, battery-powered rear speakers.

Satechi launches 108W dual USB-C desktop charger

By

Satechi has introduced a new 108W Pro USB-C PD desktop charger
Satechi's new hub charges everything — and fast!
Photo: Satechi

CES 2020Tech accessory maker Satechi announced Wednesday its 108-watt Pro USB-C PD desktop charger which can power multiple devices simultaneously without needing to share power between ports.

The unit simultaneously charges four devices and includes two USB-C PD (90W, 18W) and two USB-A (a total of 12W) ports.

Apple TV+ coming to more smart televisions later this year

By

What Apple TV+ needs to be a big player in 2020
What Apple TV+ needs to be a big player in 2020
Photo: Apple

Buried in a press release with nothing from the manufacturers themselves, Apple revealed Wednesday its Apple TV+ app is coming to Sony and Vizio smart televisions “later this year.”

The additions join Samsung, which added the app to some of its TVs in December 2019. LG also announced this week it would be adding the app to its units later this year.

Zagg soon to release charging mat to rival Apple’s failed AirPower

By

AIrPower CultCast 382
Zagg has apparently solved issues to a workable wireless charging mat and will release such a product sometime this year.
Photo: Apple

CES 2020Mophie parent company Zagg Brands is preparing to release a wireless charger sometime this year similar to that of Apple’s canceled AirPower, according to a published report.

A company spokesman told Bloomberg on Tuesday that it is developing a wireless charging mat with the capabilities to power wireless devices, something Apple attempted to devise in the now-aborted AirPower.

Sony 2020 models join Samsung with AirPlay 2 & HomeKit support

By

Sony X950
The Sony X950 is part of the new 2020 range. All models support Apple's AirPlay 2 & HomeKit.

CES 2020Sony announced Monday a revamped line of its LED and OLED flatscreens, all with support for Apple’s HomeKit and AirPlay 2. The new models join Samsung, also supporting the Apple technologies.

The news did not include any mention of incorporating the Apple TV app into the new models.

Griffin, Aukey debut smaller, lighter, faster wall chargers

By

Griffin PowerBlock Range
Griffin PowerBlock Range of Ultra-Compact USB-C PD Fast Charging Wall Chargers with Gallium Nitride (GaN) Technology
Photo: Griffin

CES 2020A slew of smaller wall chargers with better charging speeds are soon to hit the market and two companies – Griffin and Aukey – used the Consumer Electronics Show on Monday to show off their newest units.

Aukey’s Omnia and Griffin’s PowerBlock lineup are made from gallium nitride, or GaN, a next-generation semiconductor material with 100-times the speed of old silicon technology. They are well-suited for high-power transistors capable of operating at high temperatures. As a result, components are smaller, lighter and faster to charge, up to 70% faster than standard chargers.

Samsung’s new spinning Sero TV coming to U.S. with AirPlay 2

By

Samsung Sero TV coming to U.S. with AirPlay 2
Launched last May in South Korea, the Samsung spinning Sero TV is coming to America with AirPlay 2 support.
Photo: Samsung

CES-2020-bug-2With the advent of more verticle videos on social media platforms, Samsung is introducing its Sero pivoting TV in the U.S. with Apple AirPlay 2 support.

Samsung showed off its new Sero TV at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Sunday with plans for its release in the second half of this year. No specific price was revealed, but Samsung launched the 4K display in South Korea for roughly $1,640 last May.

Apple exploring satellite network to beam data directly to iPhones

By

satellite
The iPhone maker seems serious to create a satellite network to beam data directly to devices like the iPhone and Apple Watch.
Photo: ESA

Apple is building a larger research group to investigate ways to transmit data directly to iPhones and other devices, Bloomberg reported Friday.

According to the report, Apple CEO Tim Cook has reportedly made the project a company priority.

AirPods Pro owners scratch and sniff … blueberries

By

AirPods Pro blueberries
Some AirPods Pro owners smell blueberries when they open their new earbuds. An expert says that's not surprising.
Photo: Envato Elements

Some AirPods Pro owners report an unusual smell emanating from the plastic and rubber casings of Apple’s hot new earbuds. Of all things, they say they detect a whiff of … blueberries.

One expert tells Cult of Mac the aroma could be deliberate, or simply a result of chemical compounds in the plastics.

Does Apple’s Night Shift mode really work? New study questions its effectiveness.

By

The Night Shift mode on Apple products may not be worth the hype. Using dim, cooler lights in the evening may be more beneficial to our sleep and health.
The Night Shift mode on Apple products may not live up to the hype.
Photo: Envato Elements

Blue light from iPhones or MacBook Pros might not be keeping people up at night as originally thought, according to new research.

The bottom line … the Night Shift mode on Apple products — meant to dial down the amount of blue light emitted by displays — may not be as effective as expected. Using dim, cooler lights in the evening, and bright, warmer lights in the day might prove more beneficial to our health.

Apple TV app debuts on Amazon Fire smart TVs in U.S.

By

Fire TV Edition Smart TVs
A month since its debut on Amazon Fire Stick devices, the Apple TV App is now available on Fire TV Edition Smart TVs in the U.S.
Photo: Amazon

The Apple TV App is now available on Fire TV Edition Smart TVs in the U.S., slowly increasing its availability on various third-party streaming players and televisions.

The addition includes built-in Alexa voice-command support to ask for AppleTV+ programs and to open the Apple TV app.

Amazon adds Apple Podcasts on Echo speakers

By

Echo
You can now play Apple Podcasts on Amazon Echo devices and link your Apple ID for easier control.
Photo: Amazon

Amazon has added support for Apple Podcasts on Amazon Echo devices, enabling users to stream more than 800,000 shows.

Users can link their Apple ID to the Alexa app, giving them the ability to not only play, but pause and resume podcasts where they left off.

Orangetheory Fitness launches workout tracker for Apple Watch

By

Orangetheory Fitness rower
The Orangetheory Fitness franchise has created a small accessory that attaches to an Apple Watch band to track your heart rate during exercise.
Photo: Orangetheory Fitness

The nation’s 13th-largest health club chain, Orangetheory Fitness, will begin supporting Apple Watch in its 1,300 franchise studios by March, the company said Thursday. That will make it the first fitness brand to officially partner with Apple on a fitness studio solution.

The fitness franchise created a small accessory, called the OTbeat Link, that attaches to an Apple Watch band to track the heart rate of customers during exercise classes.