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.
Qualcomm had a small victory today in its patent-infringement battle with Apple, but not the big win it was hoping for. Photo: Qualcomm
A judge with the International Trade Commission ruled that iPhone models infringe on a Qualcomm patent. However, he declined Qualcomm’s request to ban the import of the infringing devices into the U.S.
The judge also said the iPhone doesn’t infringe on two other patents owned by the chip maker.
The Sprint 4G coverage area is far smaller than its rival's. Something the carrier itself admits. Photo: Sprint
Any iPhone user who wants wide access to 4G LTE should avoid Sprint like the plague. The carrier reportedly produced a series of maps comparing its coverage area to those of its top three competitors, and Sprint loses by a wide margin in all of them.
But the company’s management hasn’t lost their minds. There’s a good reason why this wireless service provider is going out of its way to look terrible.
The amount Google pays Apple to remain the default search engine in Safari might be higher than you expect. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Google is the default iPhone search engine in the Safari web browser, but not because Apple thinks it’s the best option. No, Google will pay $9 billion this year for the privilege, according to an analyst’s estimate.
Turns out the A7, A8 and A8X didn't infringe on a patent held by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Photo: Apple
An appeals court just reversed the 2015 decision against Apple made in a patent-infringement lawsuit brought by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The original court ruled that the iPhone-maker owed the university $234 million for infringing on patented microchip technology in the iPhone and iPad.
Ken Segall put the “i” in iMac, and now he wants iPhone names to make more sense. Photo: Doug Schneider Photography
Apple’s decision to name its new flagship product the “iPhone XS Max” has drawn criticism. But none so harsh as from Ken Segall, who worked closely with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs on marketing for over a decade.
He says he feels “a sense of dread” before every iPhone press event because “when it comes to iPhone naming, Apple seems to wage a war against common sense.”
iOS 12's new Screen Time feature isn't a panacea for good parenting. Even small children can find workarounds. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
iOS 12’s Screen Time feature lets parents monitor and limit how much time their children spend on their iPhone and iPad. It should surprise no one that smart kids with lots of free time have found ways to circumvent the limits.
This is only the first version of Screen Time, and Apple will likely close these loopholes in future updates.
When iPhone Dual SIM support appears in iOS 12.1, it will be possible to use two service plans at once with Apple's latest models. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
A hotly anticipated feature wasn’t available when the iPhone XS models arrived last week, but Apple is hard at work bringing Dual SIM support to these new handsets. This cutting-edge features is included in the first iOS 12.1 beta.
When the full version of the operating system update becomes available later this fall, the iPhone XS and XS Max will be able to simultaneously connect to two cellular providers.
The most likely improvement in macOS 10.14.1 beta 1 is the return of Group FaceTime. Photo: Apple
macOS 10.14 Mojave launched yesterday, but Apple already started testing the next version. Developers were just given access to a pre-release beta of macOS 10.14.1.
With availability so recent, it’s not yet known what’s in the new version. That said, the most likely enhancement is the return of Group FaceTime.
Open the iPhone XS Max and you'll see just $443 worth of components. Photo: TechInsights
An estimate of the component costs for each iPhone XS Max shows that much less than half of the purchase price goes to producing the device. This is Apple’s most expensive phone ever — and likely its most profitable.
The cost of storage went up considerably but Apple managed to save money by removing some 3D Touch components from the display.
If you're doing something illegal, you could take a fall for slipping up. Photo: Apple
An Apple Watch Series 4 can detect if you’ve fallen and automatically call 911 to get your injuries tended to. Or get you arrested, depending on the circumstances.
That’s the warning of privacy watchdogs, who point out that 911 calls invite in more than just emergency medical personnel.
Any future privacy legislation will likely have little effect on Apple as it already bends over backward to avoid collecting user information. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
A high-level Apple executive will tell the the U.S. senate tomorrow that the iPhone maker is in favor of federal privacy regulations.
He’ll be testifying along with representatives of Google and other companies likely to argue against privacy laws.
Among the new features in Office 2019 for Mac is Focus Mode in Word. Photo: Microsoft
Microsoft Office for Mac just got its first major update in years.Previews of the 2019 edition have been appearing for months, but the wait for the full version is over.
It brings loads of new features to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
The long wait for Waze on Apple's CarPlay in-dash system is over. Photo: Waze
For too many years, the only navigation application for CarPlay users was Apple Maps. But iOS 12 changed that. Last week, CarPlay users got access to Google Maps. And now the rival Waze is an option.
This means that all three of the most popular turn-by-turn smartphone navigation titles can be used with Apple’s in-dash system.
Apple wins benchmark and real-world comparisons of the performance of the iPhone XS Max and the Galaxy Note 9. Screenshot: SuperSaf TV
Both Samsung and Apple offer really large smartphones fo those who want to carry a miniature tablet around with them everywhere. Anyone trying to decide between the iPhone XS Max and the Galaxy Note 9 should consider which one offers better performance.
In several head-to-head tests, the iPhone solidly beats its Android-based rival. That’s in both benchmarks and real-world use.
The iPhone XS Max is Apple's best selling model by a wide margin. Photo: Apple
When it comes to iPhones, it appears bigger is much better. The iPhone XS series debuted on Friday, and a respected analyst reports the larger of the two is selling far, far better than its smaller sibling.
The analyst also reports that the new Apple Watch Series 4 is selling better than he expected.
Apple is watching to be sure your device is really being used by you, and has begun giving each an iPhone trust score. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
In an attempt to prevent fraudulent purchases from the iTunes Store, Apple has begun giving each iOS device a “trust score.” Exactly how this is computed isn’t known, but one of the factors is how many phone calls and emails are sent and received by the phone or tablet.
Despite the laudable goal of preventing fraud, an iPhone trust score is something likely to raise the hackles of privacy advocates. Still, Apple promises that it’s not tracking its users.
The first iPhone XS teardown video shows the unusual L-shaped battery. Photo: FixjeiPhone
The iPhone XS debuts tomorrow, but a video showing this device being disassembled is already available. This not only gives the first look at the internal components but reveals some of the details about this smartphone.
Perhaps the most unusual feature of Apple’s new high-end model is the L-shaped battery.
Apple is in business to make a profit, and HomePod sales are bringing in more revenue than any of its rivals. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Weak HomePod sales caused it to fall off of the list of top 5 smartspeakers during the second quarter of this year. But there’s a very important metric where this product is beating all its rivals.
And it’s a category where Apple excels: making money.
Sales of the iPhone X were vastly higher than the equivalently-priced Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Samsung sells more phones than Apple, and its high-end devices like the Galaxy S9 get lots of attention. That means Samsung sells as many top-tier models as Apple, right? Nope, not even close.
Apple sells close to twice as many premium phones as its top rival. In this case, “premium” is any handset costing over $400. Which is a fairly low bar.
iPhone security impresses the new head of information security at the Democratic National Party. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Democratic National Committee has a solution for improving its smartphone security: switch to iPhone. It suggests that Democratic organizations get rid of all their Android devices.
This is especially true if the phones are from ZTE, a company with ties to the Chinese government.
Apple Watch Series 4 is significantly better than the earliest versions of this wearable. Photo: Apple
Apple’s next-generation wearable launches Friday, so the first batch of Apple Watch Series 4 reviews appeared today. The experts with early access sound quite positive about this device.
They like the new display and the faster performance. The new ECG heart monitor function can’t yet be tested, however.