Mobile menu toggle

Ed Hardy - page 239

Isaac Asimov’s Foundation sci-fi epic definitely headed for Apple TV

By

Foundation was a major influence on Star Wars, and now it's coming to Apple TV.
Foundation was a major influence on Star Wars, and now it's coming to Apple TV+.
Photo: Bantam Spectra Books

A few months ago, we heard that Apple was developing Isaac Asimov’s Foundation book series for TV. Today, came word that Apple has committed to turning the sprawling sci-fi epic into a show.

Foundation follows the fall of a galactic empire, and centers on a group of scientists trying to save civilization from chaos.

PlugBug Duo makes your MacBook charger twice as useful

By

With PlugBug Duo, you can simultaneously charge your MacBook, iPhone, and iPad from one plug.
With PlugBug Duo, you can simultaneously charge your MacBook, iPhone, and iPad from one wall socket.
Photo: TwelveSouth

Everyone wants to tote around less stuff, so add-ons that make your current gear more useful are welcome.  And that’s just what the new PlugBug Duo by TwelveSouth does: it clips onto your MacBook charger and adds a pair of USB ports.

It’s especially handy for people who have a MacBook Pro with a USB-C port, but need to charge gadgets that take a traditional USB port.

Apple places risky bet on sole iPhone chip provider

By

Apple A12 replaces A11 Bionic
TSMC beat out Samsung and Intel to make Apple's A11 Bionic processor, and will apparently be the sole producer of its replacements.
Photo: iFixit

TSMC has produced every iPhone processor for several years, and is reportedly going to continue to be Apple’s sole source for chips.

Apple generally prefers to get components from multiple sources, but apparently no company — not even Samsung or Intel — can compete with TSMC. That makes the two companies very dependent on each other.

Auction of working Apple-1 from 1976 should bring big bucks

By

In previous auctions, other Apple-1 computers have sold for as much as $815,000.
In previous auctions, other Apple-1 computers have sold for as much as $815,000.
Photo: RR Auction

You can buy a piece of Apple history next month. An Apple-1 computer built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak will be auctioned off.

But bring your credit card. The auction house expects it to go for about $300,000.

5G iPhone will cost Apple a pretty penny

By

iPhone 5G
Making the 5G iPhone is going to be a complex and expensive business.
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

There’s no doubt Apple will eventually make a 5G iPhone. The high-speed standard was finalized a few months ago, and wireless service providers are building 5G networks.

The next step is for the companies that developed the technology to decide what they’ll charge Apple and other phone makers to license their patents. The total might be more than you expect.

Box of crystal meth shuts down Apple Store

By

Ingenious
Just after opening the package containing 2 pounds of meth, the poor Apple Store employee probably looked a lot like this.
Photo: Samsung

The life of an Apple Store employee isn’t always easy. Sometimes they get punched in the face by irate customers, there are robberies, plus they have to put up with being mocked by Samsung. 

And then there’s the day an Apple Store employee opened a package to find it stuffed with tens of thousands of dollars worth of extremely illegal crystal meth.

Walmart horns in on the $1.1 billion e-book market

By

A Walmart eBooks iOS app just launched, hoping to take on the established leaders in the market.
A Walmart eBooks iOS app just launched, hoping to take on the established leaders in the market, Amazon and Apple Books.
Photo: Walmart

While brick-and-mortar bookstores have almost disappeared, the number of e-book stores grew today with Walmart throwing its hat into the ring.

This is clearly an attempt to take on arch-rival Amazon in yet another market, but Apple Books is caught in the middle too.

Office 2019 will force procrastinating Mac owners to upgrade

By

Focus Mode in Word from Office 2019 for Mac
Microsoft Word 2019 requires running a somewhat recent version of macOS.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft clearly expects Office 365 for Mac users to keep their computers at least generally up to date. The company requires users to run macOS Sierra or a newer version to have access to additional features coming next month.

Subscribers who are running 11.12 Sierra or its replacement 11.13 High Sierra in September will get an upgrade from the Office 2016 client to Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac.

EU may finally allow Apple to buy Shazam

By

Shazam iPhone
The wait for Apple to acquire a popular music-identification app is almost over.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple has been trying to buy Shazam since last December, but the deal has been held up for months by regulators in the EU. That’s reportedly just about to change.

It’s likely Apple wants this music-identification app as part of its ongoing battle with Spotify.

Apple HR couldn’t care less if you have a college degree

By

Apple leases new offices near to Apple Park
You can get hired at Apple even without a fancy piece of paper telling people you got a lot of book learning.
Photo: Duncan Sinfield

The traditional life plan includes four years of college then a good job. But not everyone takes this path, and sometimes the lack of a college degree keeps some people from getting a job they are otherwise qualified for. But not at Apple.

Following a non-traditional career path is no problem getting hired at Apple. And that goes for positions beyond working at its retail stores.

Apple apparently gives up owning its own flagship stores in India

By

apple-store-fifth-avenue-nyc-new-york
Apple India seemingly can't open its own a flagship store like the one in NYC, so it's forced to turn to franchisees to do it.
Photo: Simone Lovati/Flickr CC

It’s going to be years before Apple India can hope to open flagship retail stores. So the company is allowing local franchisees to open huge Apple stores in major cities to take their place.

India puts stringent requirements on companies who want to open retail stores, and so far Apple hasn’t met them.

Say goodbye to Back to My Mac in macOS Mojave

By

Apple Remote Desktop is one of the applications that replaces Back to My Mac.
Apple Remote Desktop is one of the applications that replaces Back to My Mac.
Photo: Apple

There’s bad news for anyone who’s still a fan of Back to My Mac: Apple is killing off this suite of remote-access applications.

The good news is that Apple’s doing so because all the functionality has been supplanted by newer options. 

iOS App Dock could migrate to the iPhone’s edges

By

Phone side screens.could take the place of physical buttons and switches. And there'll be app icons and notifications on the edges, too.
Phone side screens.could take the place of physical buttons and switches. And there'll be app icons and notifications on the edges, too.
Photo: Apple

Apple is considering bending an iPhone display around the sides of the device, making additional room for buttons and status notifications.

This isn’t a new concept, as rival devices have does something similar for years. But Apple filed a patent for these side-screens just 9 months ago, so it’s clearly still interested in the idea.

Apple could fix Tesla’s crippling production problems

By

Tesla
Apple expertise could help Tesla meet its production goals for the Model 3. And Tesla could help create the iCar.
Photo: Tesla

Tesla is struggling to get its cars into customer’s hands. Apple is quietly developing its own self-driving car. The two should team up, according to one investor.

Apple would provide its long experience in bringing high tech products to market. Tesla would contribute fresh ideas to the partnership.

Fresh new betas of iOS 12, macOS Mojave arrive for developers and the public

By

There are new iOS 12 beta versions for developers and the public, as the same is true for macOS Mojave.
This isn't even all the devices that will run the betas Apple released today.
Photo: Apple

Monday is Beta Day at Apple. Today brought shiny new versions of iOS 12 and macOS Mojave. The newest versions are only for developers, but the public just got access to the iOS 12 and Mojave betas released to developers last week.

New betas of watchOS 5 and tvOS 12 for devs also launched today.

Expect a more powerful Mac mini Pro this fall

By

Apple Mac mini
The 2018 Mac mini Pro is rumored to be much powerful than the "current" model, which hasn't been updated in almost four years.
Photo: Apple

The last time Apple gave any love to the Mac mini was way back in 2014. But a refresh is reportedly coming.

This inexpensive macOS desktop is apparently popular with developers and server farms. The 2018 mini is supposedly being created with these professionals in mind.

This is the date you can preorder your next iPhone

By

6.5- and 6.1-inch 2018 iPhone models
We now have a fairly firm idea of when the 6.5-inch iPhone will debut. The 6.1-inch model isn't expected until months later, though.
Photo: OnLeaks

We already know quite a bit about the next-generation iPhones, and one of the remaining questions may have just been answered: when they’ll go on sale.

A German wireless phone provider has leaked part what we want to know: the date preorders will begin. The most likely release date can be extrapolated from that.

Minecraft: Education Edition brings brainy gameplay to iPad

By

Minecraft: Education Edition can teach math, science, history, and more.
Minecraft: Education Edition can teach math, science, history, and more.
Photo: Microsoft

Minecraft: Education Edition is one of the best-known applications to gamify learning. After launching back 2016, an iPad version will finally debut next month.

The Minecraft game is hugely popular, and the version created for schools also has millions of users learning math, science, history, and more.

iPhone X notch might be on endangered list

By

Apple Watch
The iPhone X notch isn't the "deal breaker" so many thought it would be, but the screen cutout could be replaced with an under-display camera in 2019.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The first camera that can be embedded under a phone’s display might launch next year. If this comes to pass, it would remove the need for the screen cutout in the iPhone and many rival Android models.

It’s no secret that companies are trying to develop in-display cameras. The promise that one will be on the market in 2019 comes from an unnamed source.

Best Apple computers for students

By

Brydge 12.9 is almost a touchscreen MacBook
The best Apple laptop for a student might be an iPad with an add-on keyboard.
Photo: Brydge

The fall semester is right around the corner, so students will soon be plugging away on homework and research papers. Here’s our recommendations for the the best Apple laptops for your student, from college to elementary school.

And we cover more than just laptops, also recommending the best desktops and tablets, so there’s something here for everyone.

Science proves women’s pockets are too small for iPhones

By

iPhone Japan
Japan loves its iPhones. But a proposed law could make some consumers consider cheaper Android handsets.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Ever tried to slip an iPhone into a pants pocket and run out of room with the device halfway in? Men are probably scratching their heads, but most women know the experience well.

A new study finds that the front pocket in women’s jeans average less than half the size of men’s. And that means less than half the brands studied can hold an iPhone X.

iOS 12 runs much faster, especially on older iPhones

By

Side-by-side tests on an iPhone 5s show noticeable iOS 12 performance improvements.
Side-by-side tests on an iPhone 5s show noticeable iOS 12 performance improvements.
Photo: iApple Bytes

Apple’s next operating system is still in beta, but it already boasts much better performance than iOS 11. Speed improvements are high on Apple’s list of promises for iOS 12, and there’s little room for doubt that Cupertino will deliver.

Speed tests performed on older models, including an iPhone 5s, show iOS 12 makes the devices significantly faster.

Speed up MacBook Pro to 10 Gbps with this adapter

By

OWC offers an adapter for your MacBook's Thunderbolt 3 port to connect to 10Gbps Ethernet networks.
OWC offers an adapter for your MacBook's Thunderbolt 3 port to connect to 10Gbps Ethernet networks.
Photo: OWC

Don’t be jealous of the 10Gbps Ethernet port in the iMac Pro. OWC introduced an adapter for your MacBook’s Thunderbolt 3 port to connect to networks at the same massive speeds.

Just be warned, the OWC Thunderbolt 3 10G Ethernet Adapter isn’t an accessory for the casual user. It’ll set you back $187.99.

Twitter calmly explains why it broke your favorite apps

By

Twitter
Many of the features of Tweetbot, Twitterrific, and similar apps just stopped working. Twitter's CEO tells us why.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Despite protests, Twitter made changes today that break some features of popular third-party apps. The company’s CEO explains that all Twitter is doing is finally enforcing a 9-year-old policy.

Rob Johnson says the company will no longer devote resources to apps it didn’t want built in the first place. The situation is a bit more complex that that, though.