Ed Hardy - page 114

A year after the debut of AirPods Max, an analysis of user reviews found that buyers like the over-the-ear headphones less than rival products. The main problem: price.

For comparison, the same study by consumer research company Revuze shows people who buy Apple’s basic AirPods seem much more satisfied. And user reviews of other Apple products are usually quite positive, too.

“It is off-brand and surprising to see how poorly the AirPods Max product was received over the course of the year since its release,” Revuze CEO Boaz Grinvald told Cult of Mac. 

2022 could be the year Apple takes iMac to the next level. Various leaks point to an iMac Pro with a blazing-fast processor and a beautiful screen.

But it’s not supposed to be any larger than the biggest current iMac, though the overall design is expected to change.

Competition for highly skilled engineers and programmers is fierce in Silicon Valley, and Apple’s answer is big bonuses for employees it really wants to hold on to. It reportedly rewarded some workers with up to $180,000 in company stock.

These were apparently unscheduled and not part of usual compensation packages.

Apple won‘t let the iPad languish in 2022. Most notably, some big improvements are reportedly coming to the display and charging capabilities of the iPad Pro line.

And the iPad Air and iPad won‘t be overlooked, either.

Apple received a patent for a foldable iPad cover/stand capable of holding the tablet up in a range of viewing angles. It’s a notable improvement over the current Apple Smart Cover.

Of course, there are plenty of third-party folding iPad stands with comparable capabilities. But people are more likely to pick Apple’s version because it’s Apple.

The new, highly transmissible COVID-19 variant reportedly forced Apple to shut down around 20 of its retail stores in the United States. Coronavirus cases continue to rise dramatically because of the omicron variant, with the daily national average more than doubling in the past two weeks.

Those planning to return a gift at a brick-and-mortar Apple Store, or use a gift certificate, should check to see if it’s open before heading out.

With 2022 almost on us, it’s time to look forward to the massive MacBook Air refresh expected next year. Tipsters say there’ll be a slim new design, a much better screen and a range of other improvements.

This notebook is also expected to be the debut of the super-speedy Apple M2 processor.

Three months after launch, a lower percentage of iPhone users have adopted iOS 15 than they did its predecessors in previous years. Cult of Mac asked readers to explain their hesitancy.

Turns out there’s not one single reason.

Apple proves that demo videos don’t have to be dry and boring. It premiered a trio of short videos Sunday that show off the capabilities of the iPhone 13 Pro camera — and they’re actually fun to watch.

Plus, if you were just gifted Apple’s latest handset, watch all three and you might be inspired to go make a movie with it.

2022 might bring some significant swings in Apple’s phone strategy. The “regular” iPhone 14 series reportedly will include a more affordable 6.7-incher in place of the 5.4-inch mini model. And the two upcoming iPhone Pro models could get rid of the notch, replacing it with a smaller alternative.

Plus, there allegedly will be a big improvement to the rear-facing camera, as well as other changes. And an iPhone SE 3.

Christmas time is here, and Apple TV+ is ready to help you celebrate. There are some wonderful specials on Apple’s streaming service that can get you in the holiday spirit.

Any and all of them are ready to watch now.

An iPhone and AirPods can be used to listen to conversations without people knowing. Such iPhone spying is really just a tricky use of the Live Listen feature built into iOS.

And, even if you’re not a budding James Bond, knowing about this trick could keep someone from eavesdropping on you. Here’s what to do if you want to use your iPhone to spy on someone. (Or what to watch out for if you don’t want to fall victim to iPhone spying.)

In the three months since iOS 15 launched, 65% of iPhone users have installed it. That’s well below the percentage of users who’d installed iOS 14 the same amount of time after its debut in 2020.

There are several possible reasons why the iOS 15 adoption rate might be slower than that of its predecessor.

Apple Support premiered on Wednesday a video with helpful iPhone tips. Sit back, take a few minutes and learn something new you can do with your handset.

With ten tips — plus bonus ones — there’s sure to be something here you didn’t know.

Searching for a new house with someone who’s not right next to you just got a lot easier. The Zillow app on iPhone or iPad now supports SharePlay, so multiple people can look at the same home listings simultaneously on different devices.

Use it with loved ones or your real estate agent.

The OWC Envoy Pro SX uses Thunderbolt to provide the super fast data transfers that professionals need. And it’s drop-proof and waterproof so it can stand up to real life.

I put the 2 terabyte external SSD through testing. I’m impressed.

A concept artist took the rumors about an upcoming Apple augmented reality and virtual reality headset and turned them into a possible design for a product that could be unveiled in 2022.

This model is undeniably bulky, but but less so than rival Oculus, Valve and Sony versions.

Apple seeded the initial iOS 15.3 beta to developers later than usual Friday, along with the iPadOS equivalent. And on Monday, Apple added iOS 15.3 beta 1 and iPadOS 15.3 beta 1 to the Apple Beta Software Program. So far, no one has been able to find any new features in them.

watchOS 8.4 beta 1 and tvOS 15.3 beta 1 also went to developers Friday.

The debut of HomePod mini brought a big jump in sales that continues almost a year later. Shipments of Apple’s smart speakers increased a whopping 92% last quarter when compared to the same period of 2020.

And HomePod mini was the second best selling smart speaker globally.

Several older iPhones and iPads reportedly won‘t be able to upgrade to iOS 16 when it debuts in 2022. While that’s sure to disappoint anyone still using these devices, the newest one will be 5 years old at that point. And one of them will be 8 years old.

Apple continues to offer operating system upgrades for its computers for many years, but iOS 16 will supposedly mark the end up of updates for the A8 and A9/A9X processor.

With Home Widget, it’s now possible to control your HomeKit accessories directly from your iPhone’s Home screen. Turn on and off lights or even run automated scenes with the quick push of a button. With the new app, you can make a bunch of HomeKit widgets to meet your needs.

I put Home Widget to the test in my smart house. I’m generally pleased with its usability.

AirPods make great gifts … especially when they’re nearly half off. You can get AirPods 2 for less than $90. That’s as low as they’ve ever been.

And there are deals on every type of Apple’s signature earbuds with significant savings. Even on the newest model.

Disney and Pixar characters drop their sweet facades and go for one another’s throats in Disney Melee Mania, a multiplayer action game that debuted Friday on Apple Arcade.

Ever wondered what would happen if Elsa and Moana took on Buzz Lightyear and Wreck-It Ralph? Now you can find out.

Apple began testing macOS Monterey 12.2 beta 1 on Thursday, just days after the release of macOS 12.1. An official list of what’s coming in the new version hasn’t yet been revealed by the Mac-maker, but tests with beta 1 have turned up a few changes. The much-anticipated Universal Control isn’t one of them, though.

This pre-release version seeded to developers was not accompanied by any iOS, iPadOS or watchOS betas on Thursday.

A Texas woman put Apple AirTags on her outdoor Christmas inflatables in case they were stolen. And when they were, she was able to use the item trackers to easily find them.

Getting them back wasn’t quite as easy, however.