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.
iPad 2 is so old it doesn’t have a Lightning port. And it includes just a single speaker. Photo: Apple
An early Apple tablet is about to be put out to pasture. The second-generation iPad is reportedly going on the “vintage and obsolete products” list at the end of this month.
Most people might be surprised to hear that this device, released in 2011, isn’t already listed as obsolete.
A “Shot on iPhone” film about wildlife conservationists visits a watery realm. Photo: Apple
A short documentary about the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme is the latest entry in the “Shot on iPhone XS” campaign, which shows what’s possible with the the advanced cameras in Apple handsets.
The 8-minute video is a full of crystal-clear video taken beneath the waves. Watch it now:
Perhaps a rising tide of smart speaker sales will help HomePod. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The number of smart speakers like Amazon’s Echo and Apple’s HomePod in use around the world is expected to keep growing strongly for years to come. It could pass 200 million in 2019, and pass 500 million in 2023.
Analysts from Canalys indicate the installed base of these devices is now surpassing the number of smartwatches in use. And smart speakers could even outnumber tablets before the end of 2021, they say.
Apple Arcade is something of an expensive loot box for Apple. Photo: Apple
Apple’s upcoming game service could be getting some major seed money. A new report indicates the iPhone maker might be spending over $500 million to build its stable of games.
And analysts from HSBC predict Apple Arcade will bring in more revenue than Apple TV+, this company’s streaming video service.
China’s population of 1.4 billion makes it a huge potential market for Apple. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
A pair of GOP congresspeople have strongly criticized the decision to remove songs from artists critical of the Chinese Communist Party from Apple’s streaming music service in that country.
The move highlights the compromises the iPhone maker has to make in order to offer its products in a very lucrative market.
Check out a proposed iPhone XII with a screen that curves around all four edges. Photo: Kevin Noki/ConceptsiPhone
One way to make the iPhone’s screen larger without increasing the size of the device itself is wrap it around all four edges. An artist‘s video imagines how such an iOS handset would look, with no physical buttons and an under-screen camera.
Perhaps the MacBook should adopt split-screen multitasking instead of floating windows. Photo: Thomas Weinreich
Many people want their iPad to work more like a MacBook. A concept video proposes the opposite: having macOS function more like iOS on a tablet. That means no more free-floating windows.
The Samsung Galaxy Fold could be a harbinger of what all phones will look like in the future. Photo: Samsung
Samsung’s very experimental and pricey Galaxy Fold takes a big step toward its launch tomorrow. This will be the first wide release of a folding phone in the U.S.
In addition, Samsung promised the Galaxy S10 5G will debut in the U.S in May.
Sales of Macs didn’t have a stellar quarter. Photo: Apple
Global shipments of laptops and desktops were on the decline in the first three months of this year, and Apple also saw a drop in Mac shipments. But there is a silver lining: the company did better than some of its rivals so its share of the global PC market actually increased.
The same was true for Mac sales in the United States.
YouTube TV has new content but also a higher price. Especially for those who subscribe through the App Store. Photo: YouTube
The monthly YouTube TV subscription fee is going up to $49.99. And it will be even higher for those who pay for this streaming video service via the Apple App Store.
This is apparently YouTube’s way of partially offsetting the cut Apple takes from all subscription fees. And it’s something other companies might emulate.
You don’t have to hide your MacBook Air to protect it with the UAG Plyo. Photo: Urban Armor Gear
Part of the appeal of owning a MacBook is showing it off, especially if you’ve personalized it. The Urban Armor Gear Plyo is a protective case made of translucent plastic so the exterior of this svelte notebook can still be seen.
The Apple TV app gets a raft of new features in iOS 12.3. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Both the general public and developers can now download the second beta of iOS 12.3. When the final version is available, it will bring significant improvements to the Apple TV app. The latest beta continues to add features.
A second public beta of macOS Mojave 10.14.5 also just debuted. This is a bug-fix release.
Apple CEO Tim Cook meets with Apple Store employees in China. Photo: Apple
The latest round of iPhone price cuts on China have accomplished their goal, according to an analyst with Wedbush. Demand for Apple handsets has increased in that country.
That’s very good news for the company, as CEO TIm Cook said early this year that slow sales in China were the entire reason Apple saw a revenue decease at the end of 2018.
Julianne Moore will star in a series of love and horror on Apple TV+. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Horror master Stephen King will adapt his favorite novel, Lisey’s Story, into a TV series staring Oscar-winner Julianne Moore. This will be presented on the recently unveiled Apple TV+ service.
Lisey’s Story combines romance and psychological horror, and earned King a nomination for the World Fantasy Award in 2007.
Huawei launched the Balong 5000 5G modem in January. Photo: Huawei
Apple apparently has another option for 5G modems. Huawei reportedly is willing to provide future iPhones with these chips.
If true, this significantly improves the chances that a 5G iPhone will launch in 2020. Still, there are reasons to question the wisdom of any such deal.
An iOS 13 concept suggests working with two apps at once on an iPhone screen. Photo: Gunho Lee/ConceptsiPhone
An artist dreaming up ideas for Apple’s next handset suggests bringing side-by-side multitasking from the iPad to the iPhone. He also proposes Apple create a super-slim wireless clip-on battery.
Watch his video previewing these features and more:
A toddler till be eligible for AARP before he can unlock his dad’s iPad. Photo: Pexels
A New Yorker writer discovered the dangers of allowing his young child to play with his iPad. The toddler entered so many unsuccessful unlock attempts that the tablet can’t be accessed until 2068.
You can still watch Netflix on your iPhone, but you can’t cast with AirPlay any more. Photo: Stock Catalog/Flickr CC
Netflix has explained why it stopped supporting AirPlay video casting in its iOS app. The change is a result of the new TVs with built-in AirPlay support being released, and apparently not in retaliation for the recent announcement of Apple TV+, a rival streaming service.
Don’t close your mind to the potential of the folding iPhone. This is just one of many possibilities. Photo: Foldable.News
Deciding now that an folding iPhone is a terrible idea is premature. There just isn’t enough information yet to judge whether any such device is something you’ll want. And it’s betting against Apple’s history of success in areas where others have failed.
While the first foldable devices from other companies have serious flaws, that in no way means any eventual Apple device with a flexible screen will be equally bad. There’s actually plenty of reason to think it won’t.
You can no longer stream Netflix programs from your iPhone to a big-screen TV via AirPlay.
This feature, which has been available for many years, disappeared just a few days after the announcement of Apple TV+, a rival streaming service. The timing has brought accusations that Netflix stripped out AirPlay in retaliation.
The Braven BRV-105 is as active as you are. It’s up for biking, sailing... you name it. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Braven BRV-105 can go anywhere and survive whatever you can. This palm-size speaker is waterproof and rugged without being too bulky. Attach it to your bike or belt and listen to music wherever you go without headphones.
We fully tested this Bluetooth accessory, so don’t miss our review.