We’ve got a pair of iPad deals, including one of the only discounts we’ve seen on the iPad Pro 10″. Those and more are in this week’s best Apple bargains.
The GoPower is a MacBook's perfect companion. Photo: Kanex
Apple’s notebooks pack some of the best laptop batteries out there, but you’re always going to find yourself low on power when using your MacBook on the road. Fortunately, Kanex’s new PowerGo battery pack can save the day.
Packing 15,000 mAh of power and USB-C connectivity, it’s capable of giving your 12-inch Retina MacBook a full charge on the go — and it’ll keep your iOS devices topped up, too.
Tim Cook has no desire to make great devices for poor people. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Buying an iPhone is a major financial decision for most people that pine for Apple’s pricey products, but according to CEO Tim Cook, the iPhone could soon see a price cuts in certain markets.
During his heavily publicized tour of India, Tim Cook sat down for an interview with Vikram Chandra on NDTV to talk about Apple’s interest in the country. When asked about whether the iPhone is too expensive, especially considering some features don’t work in countries outside the U.S., Cook actually acknowledged the price is a bit steep.
Is the iPad an overrated education tool? Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple has been outspoken about its belief that the iPad can all but replace laptops. Try telling that to the Maine Department of Education, however, who are sending their iPads back to Apple in favor of a swap for MacBook Airs.
According to the report, Apple has agreed to do the “Refresh” swap offer at no additional cost to the school district — which decided to go ahead with it after a survey found that 88.5 percent of teachers and 74 percent of students favored MacBooks over iPads.
Gboard is probably the best third-party keyboard on iOS. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Google now offers its very own keyboard for iOS, and it’s awesome. It’s packed full of useful features like glide typing and built-in search, and it has a clean and simple design that’s a pleasure to type on. It’s probably the best third-party keyboard on iPhone.
But there are 10 things you should know about Gboard before you get set up.
Your 9.7-inch iPad Pro is safe for now, but stuck on iOS 9.3.1. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple has pulled its latest iOS 9.3.2 update for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro due to a mysterious bug that has bricked some devices. “Error 56” asked users to plug their tablets into iTunes, but many found that this didn’t resolve the issue.
It's a great time to convert your Apple gear into cash. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Although WWDC is mostly software focused, it’s also significant reminder that Apple is always moving forward with new devices and other big announcements on the horizon.
Unfortunately for us Apple addicts that means you have to be prepared to shell cash when Apple busts out a surprise ‘One more thing…’ announcement, but it turns out Apple devices are a really good way to recoup some of those costs.
It's not just in your head. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
If you’ve found yourself entering your passcode more frequently since you updated to iOS 9 — even though you have Touch ID enabled — it’s thanks to Apple’s latest security measures.
In an update to its Security Guide, published this month, the company confirms that iOS 9 will make you enter your passcode if you haven’t used your iPhone or iPad in at least eight hours.
Anyone can create the Game of Thrones song in Garageband. Photo: HBO
HBO’s Game of Thrones is the hottest show on TV right thanks to Khaleesi and her dragons, now with the new Garageband update for China you can embrace your inner Westerbro create the entire GoT theme song in minutes.
Playing the theme song is actually amazingly easy now that Apple has added new instruments like the Pipa, Erhu, and Chinese Drum Kit that can more easily recreate the ancient sound much better than a Fender Stratocaster.
Apple superfan iPhonedo put together a quick guide on how to unlock the new Chinese instruments and create the Game of Thrones song in just minutes:
The fast-flying fingers of iPad drummer extraordinaire Appleman. Photo: Appleman
He has been described as the “sickest drummer in metal right now” with the speed, muscle and snap to become a legend — a legend on the iPad, that is.
This self-styled musician and Apple fanboy from Japan has raised eyebrows for furiously finger tapping through a catalog of rock drum solos, using the virtual rock kit on Garageband with eye-popping dexterity with a well-viewed YouTube channel as his stage.
Apple CEO Tim Cook will probably never win a Grammy for his erhu skills but he can say that he got to have an erhu jam battle with one of Asia’s biggest popstars.
During his star-studded tour of China, Tim Cook met up with JJ Lin to play a new song on the new Garageband app that’s been updated to celebrate China’s musical history with over 300 musical samples, and new instruments like Chinese percussions, pipa and erhu.
Checkout Cook playing JJ Lin’s new song “The Key” on his iPad:
Apple isn't the only one suffering due to weak iPhone sales. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Weak demand for the iPhone is causing earnings to fall for a number of suppliers in Asia, and few of them are hopeful that the situation is going to change.
Foxconn, the biggest assembly partner for the iPhone, saw its profit fall 9.2 percent last quarter, while Pegatron’s nosedived a whopping 35.1 percent.
You can get your hands on Gboard today if you live in the U.S. Photo: Google
Google just launched its very first keyboard for iPhone and iPad — and it’s awesome.
Called Gboard, and designed to look a lot like the default iOS keyboard at first glance, it’s jam-packed with useful features, including the ability to type with glide gestures, send GIFs, and search Google from almost anywhere.
A Pegatron toilet that had to accommodate up to 40 workers. Photo: The Daily Mail
A rare look inside the abandoned facilities where Chinese workers toiled away making iPhones reveals a grim environment that’s a long way from Silicon Valley’s plush lifestyle.
Depressing images reveal the tiny rooms where up to 12 Pegatron workers slept each night, the dirty dining areas where they ate, and the disgusting bathrooms where they washed.
Google Translate goes offline. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
When you’re lost in a foreign country without a data connection, Google Translate can now help you get directions from a local. Its latest update for iPhone and iPad adds the ability to get offline translation in 52 different languages.
You might think your iPhone's safe, but are you sure? Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
You could be using a jailbroken iPhone containing malicious software that spies on your every move and you wouldn’t even know it.
It might be unlikely, but it happens, and you should be aware of it — especially if you buy used devices. Fortunately, you can now get a simple app that tells you in an instant whether your iPhone or iPad has been hacked.
Apple reigns as the top PC maker, but it's a crumbling market. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple has once again been named the No. 1 seller of PCs, based on shipments of just over 14 million units in the first three months of 2016.
The study comes courtesy of independent analysts Canalys, which claim that worldwide PC shipments — which it defines as being desktops, notebooks, two-in-ones and tablets — totaled 101 million units this quarter. That means that, broadly speaking, seven out of every 50 PCs sold bore the Apple brand.
Browse the web anonymously and without restrictions. Photo: Opera
Paying for VPN services for your iPhone and iPad just became a thing of the past, thanks to Opera.
The company is today launching the first free and unlimited VPN for iOS, allowing you to browse the web anonymously, access content that’s blocked in your country, and more — without coughing up a single penny.
Apple Music’s existing interface is quaking in its boots. In just one month, it could be given its marching orders as Apple looks to make way for a fancy new design that hopes to attract even more subscribers to its streaming service.
But does Apple Music really need a major revamp?
Some say its user interface is already familiar if you’re a long time iOS user — and even if you’re not, it’s arguably still prettier than those offered by rival streaming services. But others say it’s just not friendly enough, and too tricky to learn.
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we battle it out over Apple Music’s rumored redesign!
Apple is looking to students to boost its music subscriber numbers. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Apple Music has a not-unimpressive 13 million subscribers right now, but Apple is looking to expand the number of customers willing to spend money on the service by targeting a group that has historically been one of the company’s strongest customer bases: students.
With that in mind, Apple today launched a new Apple Music ‘student’ pricing plan which slashes the per month cost in half ($9.99 down to $4.99 in the United States) for anyone in higher education.
Apple steps up its assault on enterprise. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Apple is teaming up with SAP to “revolutionize” mobile working for enterprise customers.
The partnership will see native apps for iPhone and iPad combined with the SAP HANA platform, plus a new iOS SDK and training academy that will help developers build new apps tailored to their business needs.
You can now get your accessibility gadgets from Apple. Photo: Apple
Apple has added a new section to its online store where shoppers can find a range of accessibility gadgets. It is split up into vision, physical and motor skills, and learning and literacy categories, and features products for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
If you’re a fan of classic synth music (and, let’s be honest, who isn’t?), you may want to check out Moog’s latest iOS release, which astonishingly recreates the company’s iconic 1973 Model 15 modular synth inside an iPad app.
Considering that a genuine Model 15 will set you back $10,000, and Moog’s app is just $30, that’s a whopping $9,970 discount!
There's more than one 'iPhone' in China. Photo: iphone.vc
Next time you buy an iPhone from China, you better be careful you’re not really getting a luxurious leather purse.
Apple is no longer the exclusive owner of the iPhone trademark in China, after losing a long legal battle against a Chinese company that claimed to have filed for the trademark much earlier.