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.
Apple wants everyone to know that Fortnite rival PUBG Mobile is about to get a big upgrade to its visuals. Photo: Tencent Mobile
Apple’s lead story on the App Store Today screen is about the upcoming season of PUBG Mobile. The iPhone-maker also recently did a similar promotion for Butter Royale.
The Last Campfire stars a personified little ember trying to get home. Photo: Hello Games
The Last Campfire joined the ranks of puzzle games on Apple Arcade on Thursday. This is an adventure, but one sweeter and calmer than many, as players help a lost little ember find its way home.
Invasion on Apple TV+ imagines aliens attacking the Earth. Photo: Pixabay/Pexels CC
Filming of Invasion, an ambitious alien invasion series for Apple TV+, is reportedly back on. It halted in March at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but production resumed in the UK last week.
It’s been called “a large budget, ambitious, character driven genre show” by Deadline, and the cast includes Sam Neill.
The Plugable USB-C Multiport Adapter adds three frequently used ports to MacBook or iPad Pro. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
There’s no reason to watch a movie on your MacBook or iPad when the world is full of external displays you can connect to. Of course, to make the connection you’ll need something like the Plugable USB-C Multiport Adapter. Not only does it have an HDMI port, there’s a USB-A port for connecting an external drive. And a USB-C port for keeping your computer powered.
It was obviously designed to copy Apple’s Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter but at a much lower price. Here’s how it stands up.
Tiny World on Apple TV+ looks at some of Earth’s smallest creatures. Photo: Apple
Apple TV+ will premier three documentary series this autumn. Tiny World and Earth At Night In Color will show the wonder of the natural world. Becoming You explores human development.
Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 13.7, along with an iPadOS equivalent, to developers on Wednesday. These include a coronavirus-related change Apple considers important enough to justify a system-software update that includes no other new features.
With iOS 14 expected to launch soon, it would be easy to assume that Apple is done releasing new versions of iOS 13. Nope.
Epic Games won’t let iPhone or Mac users play the next Marvel-themed season of Fortnite. Photo: Epic Games
The court battle between Epic Games and Apple will really start affecting Fortnite players on Thursday. That’s when the next season of the wildly-popular game will drop, but not for anyone using an iPhone, iPad or Mac.
Apple could have a 2020 iPad Air on the docket with an even larger display. Photo: Apple
A listing of multiple unknown tablets by the Eurasian Economic Commission seemingly confirms that Apple will soon introduce a range of new 2020 iPad models.
The same source also says multiple Apple Watch models running watchOS 7 are about to be released.
If a new leak is correct, many of the iPhone 12 images circulating for months are correct. Photo: JinStore/Twitter
New images and video of a prototype iPhone 12 Pro Max allegedly fell into the hands of frequent Apple leaker Jon Prosser. This allows him to reveal that Apple’s next handset will have thinner bezels — but the notch isn’t shrinking.
He also served up details Tuesday on the upcoming iPhone’s camera that add weight to numerous earlier leaks. That includes a higher video recording rate, a Lidar sensor and more.
The iPhone Magnifier gets a big upgrade in iOS 14. Photo: Ed Hardy/Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
A handy digital magnifying glass to replace reading glasses has been buried in the iPhone for many years. With iOS 14, it becomes a lot easier to find. And there are some fantastic new features.
Here’s how to use the Magnifier on iPhone. And iPad, too.
A Files Home screen widget appeared in iOS 14 beta 2. It’s unlikely any more new features like this will be forthcoming before the full release. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple seeded the sixth beta of iOS 14 to developers Tuesday, along with the iPad equivalent. That’s a week since the last betas were introduced — and the quick turnaround is a strong sign that Apple won’t add any more surprise features before the full release of these operating systems this autumn.
The Plugable USB-C 7-in-1 Hub easily connects an HDMI monitor to a MacBook, and much more. Photo: Plugable
Plugable decided to stand out in the crowded market for USB-C multiport adapters with a low-price offering. On Tuesday, it unveiled a 7-in-1 Hub that comes in at a significantly lower cost than many of its rivals.
Even so, it can connect to multiple legacy USB-A accessories, a external monitor and removable memory cards.
A new material gave Samsung’s latest handset an advantage over last year’s iPhone in a drop test. Photo: PhoneBuff
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra survived a series of drop tests better than the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max. And that’s exactly what’s to be expected.
The Note 20 only just started reaching customer’s hands, giving it access to the latest, toughest version of Gorilla Glass. The iPhone 11 debuted almost a year ago, and is about to be replaced.
On August 30, win this badge in an Activity Challenge inspired by national parks. Photo: Apple
The National Park Service service turns 104 on Tuesday, and to help celebrate, there is a new Apple Pay donation program and special content collections on Apple TV and the App Store. Plus, there’s an upcoming Apple Watch Activity Challenge.
The Mac mini could have had a dedicated data/charging port for the iPod. Photo: Apple
Apple reportedly explored adding an iPod port to the Mac mini. Images of a prototype unit surfaced online over the weekend, showing a product Apple decided not to release.
Apple and Epic Games could be in court for years to come. Photo: Brett Sayles/Pexels CC
Apple on Friday asked a judge to deny Epic Games’ request for a court order forcing Apple to return Fortnite to the App Store. In a filing, the iPhone-maker said Epic Games brought the ban on itself by its own actions.
The court’s decision will determine whether this wildly popular game will be available for iPhone and iPad users while a potentially lengthy court battle between Apple and Epic Games goes on.
Apple Watch Series 5 sold especially well in the first half of 2020, raking in plenty of revenue. Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
The Apple Watch essentially launched the smartwatch category, and continues to dominate it. And rather than competitors catching up, Apple’s share of this market in increasing. It took in 51.4% of the worldwide revenue from shipments of smartwatches during the first half of 2020, a significant rise from the same period last year.
Get the inner secrets of the AirPower, a wireless charger Apple had to admit it couldn’t develop. Photo: Apple
Images and a video allegedly showing a teardown of AirPower, Apple’s multi-device wireless charger that was canceled before it launched, came to light Friday.
Jack is back in Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time Photo: Adult Swim Games/Cult of Mac
Samurai Jack made the jump from cartoon to video game on Friday, with this classic series transformed into an action platformer.
The star of the Cartoon Network series faces new enemies and rejoins familiar allies to track down the evil Aku and defeat him once and for all in Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time on Apple Arcade.
A less-expensive Apple Watch is just one of the predictions made today by a serial leaker. Illustration: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
A regular source of Apple leaks said on Thursday that a less expensive version of the Apple Watch is in the offing.
This was just one of multiple tidbits Jon Prosser dropped during a public Q&A session. He mentioned the first MacBook with Apple silicon, talked a bit about the company’s game controller, and more.
The wait for an iPhone and Android version of Company of Heroes is almost over. Photo: Feral Interactive
In just three weeks, the classic strategy game Company of Heroes will launch onto iPhone. Feral Interactive promised Thursday that, following a successful iPad debut earlier this year, the combat simulator will be released on September 10 for iPhone and Android.
WD My Passport SSD is tiny but adds up to 2TB of storage to Mac or iPad. Photo: Western Digital
Western Digital introduced on Thursday an updated version of the My Passport SSD. It offers dramatically faster data transfers, plus a new sleeker design.
The external storage device is available in capacities up to 2TB, and offers prosumers an easy way to carry around fairly large collections of images, movies or other files.
The Powerstation Wireless Stand, one of the new power banks from Mophie, is also a wireless charger. Photo: Zagg/Mophie
Mophie just launched four power banks designed to, in its words, “charge mobile devices at the fastest speed possible.” These latest additions to the long-running Powerstation line of batteries come in a range of storage capacities and prices, and can be used with iPhones, iPads and MacBooks.
The Adonit Note-M is a 2-in-1 stylus and mouse for iPad. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
iPadOS offers full support for mice, and it also supports styli. But carrying around both can be a bit of a hassle. That’s where the Adonit Note-M comes in. It’s a stylus that’s also a mouse. And one that’ll attach itself to the side of an iPad Pro.
I extensively tested this innovative accessory. Here’s how it performs in real-world use.