Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
Prop up an iPad with the Moft Snap Tablet Stand. Then fold it flat. Photo: Moft
The iPad doesn’t include a kickstand, but the Moft Snap Tablet Stand can be attached to any full-size model, propping the screen up at a variety of viewing and working angles. And it’s easily removable, slim and weighs in at under 5 ounces.
Even better, it’s compatible with the Apple Magic Keyboard.
Halide for iPad is ready to break the bias against tablet photography. Photo: Lux
Halide isn’t just for iPhone any more — the alternative camera application gained iPad support on Tuesday. Lux promises its latest release is, “packed with all the powerful features of Halide for iPhone and a few special ones for better photography on big screens.”
No one knows the App Store better than Phil Schiller. Photo: Apple
Apple fellow Phil Schiller took the stand Monday in the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit and during testimony revealed the cost of the annual Worldwide Developers Conference: $50 million. He’s in charge of both WWDC and App Store so he brings unique insight to the ongoing court battle.
This is one of many details the long-standing Apple executive talked about on the stand.
Apple could soon offer AirPods and Beats Studio Buds to rival each other. Photo: 9to5Mac
In a brewing Apple vs. Apple battle, the iPhone-maker is reportedly working on Beats Studio Buds — a pair of in-ear wireless headphones with a lot in common with AirPods.
The odd circumstance comes because the company releases headphones under its own brand and also under the Beats brand.
AirPods Max have a lot to offer, but not the upcoming Apple Music lossless option. Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
Apple Music fans who are super-excited about the just-announced lossless audio option should be aware that it won’t work with AirPods or HomePod. Not even the $549AirPods Max.
But Apple’s headphones and smart speaker do support Spatial Audio for songs mixed in Dolby Atmos, another new feature of Apple Music.
The first release candidates for iOS 14.6 and iPadOS 14.6 are out. The same goes for watchOS 7.5 RC and tvOS 14.6 RC. Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple seeded to developers the first release candidates for iOS 14.6 and iPadOS 14.6 on Monday. These are only small updates for these operating systems, and their timing may be controlled by the 2021 iPad Pro, which will reach customers on Friday.
Not to be left out, devs also got access to the initial release candidates for watchOS 7.5 and tvOS 14.6 on Monday.
Update:Shortly thereafter, Apple also seeded macOS Big Sur 11.4 RC to developers.
The first mini-LED MacBook models might not launch before 2022. Concept: Ian Zelbo
Apple may push back its first notebooks with beautiful mini-LED displays. Unconfirmed reports previously predicted 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook models with the new type of screen would arrive before the end of 2021, but a leak Monday indicates they won’t come until the following year.
At this point, it’s not clear if this means Apple won’t introduce new Mac notebooks until 2022, or if just the switch to mini-LED screens is on hold. Many are very much anticipating redesigned MacBooks powered with an Apple M2 chip.
PewPew Live is like Asteroids raised to 11. And it’s free! Photo: Apple/Jean-Francois Geyelin
Remember Asteroids? Well, PewPew Live is like that arcade classic on steroids. (So… as-steroids?) Zoom through space and blow up everything in fast-paced action.
There hasn’t been a new game added to Apple Arcade in over a month, so if you’re looking for something fresh, take PewPew Live for a spin. And it’s free!
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs will NOT be commemorated in the National Garden of American Heroes. Photo: Sebastian Errazuriz
Former president Trump’s plan to create a National Garden of American Heroes has been cancelled by the Biden Administration. It would have created an open-air space with statues of a wide variety of Americans, including Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
Trump created the garden by executive order, and President Biden completely cancelled it Friday with another executive order. No reason was given.
Original article from January 18, 2021
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is one of hundreds of people who’ll have a statue in the National Garden of American Heroes that President Trump ordered be created.
The list includes a wide variety of men and women from history, including politicians, generals, explorers, inventors, writers, actors and more.
A new head of design means Apple will offer plenty more headphones to follow these Beats PowerBeats. Photo: Apple
The reports of Beats’ death are (reportedly) greatly exaggerated. Rather than phasing out the brand, as had been rumored, Apple put Scott Croyle, the former head of product design at phone-maker HTC, in charge of crafting new Beats headphones, according to an unconfirmed report.
According to the FDA, there’s little risk to implanted medical devices from magnets in phones and watches. Photo: Apple
After Apple warned users of implanted medical devices to avoid iPhone 12 and MagSafe accessories, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration weighed in to say that the danger to pacemakers and defibrillators from magnets built into electronic devices is low.
Daisychain RapidX Modula units to build a custom wireless charging station. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Many homes and offices have a collection of iPhones, Apple Watches and AirPods that need charging every night. Rather than a collection of these cluttered together, the RapidX Modula5 system offers wireless chargers that magnetically snap together and run off a single cable.
I used Modula5 in my multi-device home. Here’s why I like it.
Doing so would be a mistake so severe it would damage sales of both iPad and Mac. It would take years to clean up the mess.
No matter that Macs and iPads run on the same chip. macOS isn’t designed for a touchscreen. Apple would need to redesign the operating system to run on a tablet, and devs would need to alter third-party applications, too. And that would anger people using non-touchscreen laptops and desktops.
Plus, people happy with the iPad now wouldn’t like the change either.
Lots of Apple users say they’re interested in getting an AirTag. Photo: Apple
The Apple AirTag tracker will be a huge hit, if a new survey of iPhone and iPad users is correct. More than 60% of respondents said they planned to buy the accessory.
Most people in the survey said they were satisfied with AirTag’s $29.99 price. But they were mostly drawn to the item tracker because it’s tied into Apple’s global Find My network.
The M1 processor in the 24-inch iMac is faster than most Intel iMacs. But not all. Photo: Apple
The first benchmark scores for the upcoming 24-inch M1 iMac are out, and the all-in-one desktop is just as fast as the laptops and desktop released in 2020 running this processor. And no faster.
That makes the new model 24% quicker than the 21-inch iMac it’s replacing. But it’s slower than the 27-inch iMac introduced in 2020 with a top-tier Intel processor.
Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand will star in the Scottish play on Apple TV+. Photo: Wikipedia
Apple TV+ clearly hopes to win more awards by picking up the rights to The Tragedy Of Macbeth starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. The film is set to premiere in theaters in the fourth quarter of 2021 before hitting Apple’s streaming service.
The GameSir X2 Bluetooth Mobile Gaming Controller is compatible with Apple Arcade and cloud-gaming services. Photo: GameSir
Clip the GameSir X2 Bluetooth Mobile Gaming Controller to an iPhone or Android to add physical controls to the handset. It uses a split design that puts the buttons and joysticks on either side of the screen.
GameSir also launched the F7 Claw Tablet Game Controller for larger devices.
A new concept design thinks outside of the box on removing the iPhone notch. Screenshot: ADRStudio/ConceptsiPhone
The screen notch isn’t anyone’s favorite iPhone feature, and an iPhone concept makes a radical suggestion for repositioning it: the artist suggests stretching the top of the handset to make room for the front-facing camera and other sensors.
The judge may have dropped a hint about how she might end the court fight between Epic Games and Apple. Photo: Sora Shimazaki/Pexels CC
If the judge in the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit decides to rule against the iPhone-maker, she may have already signaled the significant App Store change she would order to satisfy the game developer’s complaints.
The judge asked a question that shows she’s considering allowing developers to point customers to their own websites to make in-app purchases. Currently, these purchases must go through Apple’s payment system.
Press any of the three buttons on Belkin’s Wemo Stage Scene Controller to activate HomeKit accessories. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
You can activate up to six preprogrammed HomeKit scenes or accessories with the push of a button on Belkin’s Wemo Stage Scene Controller. The palm-size remote sits on a table or hangs on a wall, and lets you easily control HomeKit accessories all over your home. No wiring involved.
I’m fully committed to Apple’s home-automation system, and Belkin’s latest HomeKit gadget fit neatly into my setup. Here’s why.
Matter is going to… matter to fans of home automation. Photo: Connectivity Standards Alliance
Apple is a leading member of a new organization creating a standard for home automation devices. A primary goal is interoperability, allowing accessories to connect to HomeKit, Alexa, Google Home, etc.
Previously, it was up to the makers of smart home products to make devices that worked with more than one voice control system. Many chose to support just one.
The M1 processor in the 2021 iPad Pro has the tablet running faster than any Intel-based MacBook ever. Photo: Apple
The first iPad Pro with an M-series processor is apparently going to be as fast as many had hoped. Benchmark tests for the upcoming tablet show that it’s almost as speedy as the Macs released in late 2020. And faster than any Intel-based MacBook ever.
The 2021 model is more than 50% faster than the iPad Pro Apple introduced in 2020.
Apple cracks down on App Store fraud wherever it can find it. Graphic: Apple
The App Store protected customers from more than $1.5 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions in 2020, Apple said Tuesday. And the company’s App Review team rejected thousands of fraudulent applications.
The timing for this statement from the iPhone-maker isn’t accidental. In the ongoing Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit, the game developer argues that the App Store is a hinderance to innovation. Cupertino wants customers to hear its side of the story, too.