Users who aren’t ready to to take the plunge into full home-automation system like HomeKit and related accessories have another option to make a dumb lock smarter.
SwitchBot recently launched a new version of SwitchBot Lock. The company said it’s the best way to make a door lock smart without refitting, so users can lock or unlock their door via devices like iPhone or Apple Watch.
Better yet, right now you can get 15% off on Amazon, or about $15 off the $100 price.
Developer Mode is a security feature. It will prevent unsigned code from running on your device — apps that are not on the App Store, app marketplaces or TestFlight. Most people can enjoy the added layer of security for free. But, this also means that if you’re writing your own apps in Xcode, you will need to enable Developer Mode on your iPhone or iPad before running your app.
There are also a few apps you can only install by sideloading onto your device from a Mac, using an app like Sideloadly. These could include apps that aren’t allowed on the App Store, such as Hot Tub, a porn app; or apps that are no longer available from their original developers, like Apollo, the former Reddit client. For side loading to work, you’ll need Developer Mode enabled as well.
Read on to see how to turn it on.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Looks like we have a date for the next big Apple event: Mark your calendars for September 7! We’re expecting iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8 — which both sound awfully familiar — and hoping for something surprising.
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.
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An app to make Androids copy the look of iPhone running iOS is widely popular. So many people wish their Android was an iPhone that Launcher iOS 16 has been downloaded over 50 million times from Google Play. And a rival app has just as many.
That sure is a lot of jealous Android users.
Apple’s next big product event — the release of the iPhone 14 series — will take place on September 7, according to a new report.
The event kicks off a busy release period before the end of the year, with new Macs, iPads and Apple Watches expected.
In the aftermath of Roe v. Wade being overruled by the U.S. Supreme Court, and Facebook turning over a teenager’s private chats about her abortion to police, protecting your data is more urgent than ever.
Your iPhone and Apple Watch, and third-party apps you use on them, efficiently capture data that could be used against you at a later date by law enforcement. We’re talking things like location data, ovulation records, text messages and your web-browsing history.
Keeping all your data private after Roe v. Wade to avoid prosecution could prove highly important. Luckily, Apple gives you powerful controls over how and where your data is stored. You just might need to adjust certain settings for maximum privacy.
Read on to dive deep into data security recommendations for iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac.
The just-announced Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 offer the clearest evidence yet that Apple is correct to hold off on releasing a folding iPhone. Flexible screens still come with too many problems to be acceptable in an iPhone.
Of course, that didn’t stop Samsung from releasing handsets with these drawbacks.
The latest iOS 16 beta returns the iPhone’s battery percentage to the status bar. This is Apple finally walking back a controversial user interface change from 2017.
However, users of some iPhone models report that the new feature isn’t available on their device.
This GPS spoofing post is presented by iToolab.
A typical reason people want to “spoof,” or fake, a GPS location shown on a device is to play location-based augmented-reality games like Pokémon Go — without having to do all that walking.
And a highly effective, easy-to-use and affordable tool for changing and controlling your GPS location on iPhone, iPad or iPod touch — anywhere in the world, and for whatever reason — is iToolab AnyGo.
Apple has a new tool to determine if your iPhone is restarting unexpectedly. It can be challenging for Apple repair technicians to determine if your device is rebooting randomly.
The company aims to fix this problem with its new diagnostic tool.
Apple aimed a new video Monday at Android users who might want to switch to iPhone. The video answers the most common questions switchers ask, from transferring contacts to trading in handsets and much more — all in about 4 minutes.
The video comes as Apple prepares the iPhone 14 series for release and follows Cupertino’s surprisingly positive earnings results Thursday in which the company mentioned a record numbers of switchers from Android to iPhone.
In partnership with Sony, Backbone said Thursday it’s launching a new PlayStation Edition of its popular game controller for iPhone.
And players will also find a new dedicated section inside the Backbone app for iOS. It includes new releases and updates from PlayStation.
Worried that the U.S. government is trying to make sure emergency alerts it sends to smartphones are working — and you don’t even know about it?
Well, now you can make sure you receive those test alerts thanks to a new toggle Apple added to iOS 15.6 and the third iOS 16 beta.
A letter from progressive members of the U.S. House of Representatives this week urged Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to call for votes soon on a pair of antitrust bills that would rein in the power of tech giants like Apple and Google in an attempt to open up competition from more companies.
Without votes “in the next few weeks,” lawmakers’ upcoming months-long recess could delay action considerably.
July 21, 2011: Apple officially passes Nokia to become the world’s top smartphone vendor.
It’s a major milestone for Apple, which launched the iPhone just four years earlier. For Nokia, the Finnish company that dominated the cellphone market during the 1990s and early 2000s, it marks the end of an era.
Apple laid out its far-reaching goals for the health and wellness tech built into iPhone and Apple Watch in a report issued Wednesday. It details how Apple intends to develop technology to support personal health, medical research, and patient care.
“We believe passionately that technology can play a role in improving health outcomes,” said Apple’s chief operating officer, Jeff Williams, in a statement.
Cupertino’s latest Apple Store location is coming to tony Brompton Road, London, on July 28. To go along with that opening Apple just put out a flowery new wallpaper with some hidden imagery to help pique your interest.
Among the exotic flora in the image above, can you spot an Apple Pencil, an iPhone and Siri remote? That’s not everything lurking there, but it’s a start.
The iPhone 14 is reportedly already in the test production phase. That puts Apple’s next-gen smartphone on schedule to launch in September, as expected.
But, in a separate report, an industry analyst warns that one version of the 2022 iPhone may be in short supply when it launches.
Apple iPhone turns 15 years old today. To mark the occasion, YouTuber Luke Miani showed off a handful of iPhone prototypes. They feature pre-release software and somewhat unfamiliar designs.
To give you an idea of how rare these handsets are, two of them are valued at $500,000 apiece.
Graphic designer and illustrator Terry Smelker’s workstation includes many interesting elements, like a specialized drawing tablet and a multimedia controller he uses along with his tricked-out MacBook Pro. But even if you’re not curious about his setup proper, get a load of that Apple gear collection! Fortunately, he provided plenty of photographs.
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Apple’s design aesthetic,” he told Cult of Mac. And that started him on his collection of vintage Apple products, which complements the rest of his gear.
If you’d like to take your selfie game up a notch, you can’t do much better than SwitchEasy’s EasySelfie Selfie Stick. The highly portable devices doubles as a tripod and works with your iPhone or a variety of cameras.
And right now you can get a good deal on EasySelfie in the Cult of Mac Store.
High-end Android models sell in much smaller numbers than iPhones, according to a market research firm. Apple handsets that cost over $400 outsold all Androids in that price range almost two-to-one.
The data shows that while Androids with cutting-edge features like folding screens and very high-res camaras draw a lot of attention, they don’t attract many buyers. But pricier iPhone models do sell well.
The more gadgets we buy, the more separate chargers we end up with. If you’re sick of plugging in your stuff all over the place, try a multi-device charger like the SwitchEasy MagPower 4-in-1 Charging Stand.
The compact stand’s ingenious design lets you easily charge four devices at once. You can power up your iPhone or other smartphone, Apple Watch, AirPods and another device all at the same time. Three out of those four gadgets power up wirelessly, too, so you can cut some cords.
And through tonight, you can get 20% off the stand in the Cult of Mac Store. That’s a savings of $17 off the regular price.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Erfon’s warming up to Apple’s new M2 chip. New benchmarks make it sound even more capable than we thought.
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.
Get the only cleaning cloth you need: CultCloth!
iOS 16 was announced with some awesome, radical new features: a completely redesigned Lock Screen, a shared Photo Library for families, editing and un-sending iMessages, advanced new features in Maps and more. It’s especially hard this year to wait until September to get your hands on it.
Developers have a busy summer ahead of them, too. I spoke with some developers while at WWDC (no, I’m not done flexing that yet) and afterwards on Twitter. Developers are especially excited about creating Lock Screen widgets for their apps, using the new advanced features of SwiftUI and experimenting with the Live Text API.
But you don’t have to wait to get your hands on the beta. Registered developers can install the iOS 16 developer beta today. According to Apple, the Public Beta will be coming sometime in July. If you pay $99 for a developer account, installing the beta on your device is fast and easy. Here’s how.