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New Bose portable speaker plays smarter with AirPlay 2

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Bose Portable Home Speaker
Bose Portable Home Speaker is ready to be used on the go.
Photo: Bose

The just-announced Bose Portable Home Speaker isn’t an everyday Bluetooth device. It also has Wi-Fi and, even better, supports AirPlay 2, making it cooperate much more closely with Apple devices.

This speaker offers 360 degree sound, and is designed for portability, with a built-in handle.

Want a real break? Put down your iPhone!

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Gaming on iPhone XS
Turns out this isn’t as relaxing as you think it is.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Using your phone during a break from work doesn’t give your brain a chance to rest and recoup, according to a new study. It’s like not taking a break at all.

The experiment’s results don’t indicate people should stay off computers when they want a quick rest. Just phones, as these are “more cognitively taxing than expected.”

Multitaskers rejoice: Connect to dual 4K monitors with this tiny adapter

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Satechi Aluminum Type-C Dual HDMI Adapter
Use two 4K monitors at 60Hz with your MacBook and this USB-C adapter.
Photo: Satechi

Satechi just introduced an adapter that enables a MacBook to connect to a pair of 4K monitors, both running at 60Hz.

There is a drawback, though: this dual HDMI adapter requires two of the laptop’s USB-C ports.

OtterSpot’s new stacking batteries take wireless charging to fresh heights

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OtterBox OtterSpot
The OtterSpot Charging Base can power multiple OtterBox Wireless Charging Batteries and a device at the same time.
Photo: OtterBox

The OtterSpot is a new twist on mobile wireless charging. It starts with a base station sending current to a portable battery that has built-in Qi inductive charging. This battery powers up an iPhone or Android, either at home or one the go. Multiple batteries can be stacked and charged at once.

The company behind this new system is OtterBox, well known for its rugged phone and tablet cases.

Cheaper HomePod, improved AirPods could arrive in 2020

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airpods
Apple could finally bring noise cancellation to AirPods.
Photo: Ste Smith/ Cult of Mac

A more affordable version of the struggling HomePod smart speaker will debut next year, according to a generally reliable source. Apple is also reportedly going to introduce AirPods with noise cancellation in 2020.

Both are products that consumers have been asking for.

Feds will retest iPhones for excessive radio-frequency radiation

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iPhone-7
Your trusty old iPhone 7 might be a rule breaker.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

An independent lab claims that the iPhone 7 emits more radio-frequency radiation that is allowed by the FCC. And the iPhone X skirts the line.

The tests, done at the behest of the Chicago Tribune, have reportedly caused the FCC to examine whether these and other cell phones meet its safety guidelines. That doesn’t make them a cancer risk, though.

Apple TV+ might make over $1 billion in its first year

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Apple TV
Jason Momoa‘s “See” is expected to draw subscribers to Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple

Apple TV+ could lure a whopping 12 million subscribers in its first year, an analyst predicts.

The streaming video service, which Apple plans to launch this fall after spending more than $1 billion on original shows, will be be playing serious catchup with rivals like Netflix. But Cupertino wields some key advantages.

Waze embraces YouTube Music for a happier commute

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YouTube Music and Waze
YouTube Music and Waze are now friends.
Photo: Google

The latest move by the Waze navigation app to make driving a little more fun involves built-in controls for YouTube Music. This allows drivers to make changes to the music streaming through their iPhone or Android without leaving the Waze app.

Database exposes loads of incoming Apple products

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While not a literal crystal ball for seeing the future, the EEC database gets close when it comes to Apple products.
While not a literal crystal ball for seeing the future, the EEC database gets close when it comes to Apple products.
Photo: Jennifer Hubacher/Pexels CC

Multiple new MacBook, Apple Watch, iPod touch and iPhone models are coming this fall, according to a database that’s so far been very accurate about upcoming products. It belongs to the Eurasian Economic Commission, which become a gold mine for information on Apple computers that are right around the corner.

Apple TV+ may allow episodes to be downloaded and watched offline

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Apple TV+ could have 26 million paying subs by 2025; 2.6 million currently
Apple TV+ might allow subscribers to take a few shows with them offline.
Photo: Apple

When it debuts this fall, Apple’s streaming video service will reportedly let viewers download episodes of shows to be watched without taking up their mobile data. Or even viewed when completely offline.

It’s not surprising — many rival services offer this capability. Today’s unconfirmed report is just evidence that Apple TV+ will have this feature too.

Apple Card’s ‘enhanced security’ takes aim at fraud

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Apple Card in POS
Stealing someone’s Apple Card number is designed to be very hard.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The new Apple Card offers some unusual security features, all designed to prevent this credit card’s number from being used without authorization, either in a store or online.

The fact that the card number isn’t printed on it anywhere is just the start. “The real key to the enhanced security here is happening behind the scenes,” said Craig Vosburg, President of Mastercard North America.

Apple takes gambling apps off the table for kids

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iPhone slots gambling
Kids can now play iPhone gambling apps, but not for much longer.
Photo: Hot Vegas Slot Machine Games!

Apple will soon allow parents to block children’s access to all games that include “Frequent/Intense Simulated Gambling” no matter where they are in the world. As it stands now, not all gambling applications are currently rated as 17+. That’s apparently about to change.

Preorders for colorful Powerbeats Pro open Wednesday

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Powerbeats Pro
These are all the colors Powerbeats Pro will be available in soon.
Photo: Beats

Apple’s Powerbeats Pro wireless headphones have been available in any color you want, as long as it’s black. That’s going to change later this week when pre-orders finally start for ivory, moss, and navy options.

Astronaut uses iPad to DJ an out-of-the-world party

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DJ astronaut from ISS
DJ Astro Luca provided the tunes for a party while on the International Space Station.
Photo: BigCityBeats

A DJ providing music from an iPad is no big deal… unless he’s 250 miles above the Earth traveling at 17,000 miles an hour. That’s what astronaut Luca Parmitano did, casting music from the International Space Station.

Watch his set now:

Apple drops macOS Catalina beta 6 to all [Updated]

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WWDC 2019
Catalina was unveiled in June and expected to hit Macs everywhere in September.
Photo: Apple

The day iTunes goes away for good moved a bit closer today with the release of a fresh developer beta of macOS Catalina. This is the sixth such, and the first in two weeks.

A version of this beta for the general public is expected shortly.

UPDATE: As expected, all can now access macOS Catalina Public beta 5. Devs got an extra beta early in this process, so this is the same version as Developer beta 6.

Trump admits his tariffs could give Samsung an advantage over Apple

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Apple shares suffer biggest decline since August
Apple CEO Tim Cook and President Donald Trump appear to have a good working relationship.
Photo: White House

During a Friday-night dinner with Donald Trump, Apple CEO Tim Cook very nearly convinced the president that import taxes planned for iPhone and other products would benefit Samsung.

Apple will pay proposed tariffs on products imported from China, while Korea-based Samsung — Cupertino’s chief competitor — will not.

HyperDrive 9-in-1 multi-port hub is surprisingly slender [Review]

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Sanho HyperDrive Power 9-in-1 USB-C Hub
The HyperDrive Power has an extra-long USB-C cable so iPad Pro users can take advantage of its many ports.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

USB-C hubs with a profusion of ports are hot now, but Sanho’s HyperDrive Power is far sleeker than any of its rivals. And it doesn’t sacrifice connectivity options for its svelte profile, offering a trio of USB-A ports, dual memory card readers, HDMI, a headphone jack and even Ethernet.

Our review involved testing all nine ports, which took a while. Read on to see if the HyperDrive Power deserves a place in your gear bag.

Expect ceramic and titanium Apple Watch Series 5 casings

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Apple Watch Edition
Ceramic Apple Watch casings are much harder than aluminum ones. The same would go for a titanium casing.
Photo: Apple

Buried in the watchOS 6 beta are a couple of images showing that this fall’s Apple Watch will be apparently available with titanium and ceramic casings.

It seems early details about Apple’s 2019 wearable are finally starting to trickle out.

Apple chip supplier says Moore’s law still holds true

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Apple A14 processor
The A14 won‘t be out until 2020, but TSMC explains why it’ll be plenty fast.
CGI: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Gordon Moore famously predicted back in 1965 that the number of transistors in a chip would double every 2 years. This held true for decades but there’s pessimism if it can continue.

TSMC, the company that’s produced every iPhone and iPad chip for years, disagrees. It’s loaded with optimism about the future of processor design.

Apple Watch Series 5 could save a struggling display-maker

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Watch out!
An analysts’ note makes a rare mention of Apple Watch Series 5.
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

An updated Apple Watch could launch as early as next month but almost nothing has leaked out about it so far. That makes a reputable analyst’s prediction that struggling Japan Display could make OLED screens for Apple Watch Series 5 something worth taking note of.

2.4 million Americans depend on Apple for their jobs

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Finisar makes Face IS lasers
Employees at Finisar in Texas will soon start shipping to Apple lasers used in Face ID.
Photo: Apple

Directly or indirectly, Apple is responsible for 2.4 million American jobs. The company says 450,000 of these are at the thousands of US companies that supply components for Apple computers, phones and tablets.

Apple clamps down hard on web tracking

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The web can be a scary place, but Apple is clamping down on web tracking.
The web can be a scary place.
Photo: Juanjo Menta/Pexels CC

The team that develops WebKit for Apple’s Safari browser is taking a strong stand against companies tracking people on the web.

They call out tracking as an infringement of user privacy, and promise WebKit will block it wherever possible.