Ulysses just got a big update for both Mac and iOS, but mostly for the Mac. The best text editor and writing app for both platforms remains the best — only now it does a little bit more. Let’s take a look.
What keeps you locked into the Apple ecosystem? These killer features and services have us totally hooked on the iPhone. Honestly, we couldn’t quit Apple if we tried.
You’ll get our sober rundown of all the things we couldn’t live without if we switched to Android, plus the week’s best news, how-tos and reviews, in this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine. Download your free issue for iOS. Or hit the links below to read the stories in your browser.
Bonus: Scroll down to the “week’s best reviews and recommendations” section for a link to enter our new iPhone XS Max and AirPods giveaway!
It’s not easy to give up your iPhone. Even if you’ve already decided you want to switch to another handset, it’s going to be incredibly difficult to let go. Apple has you locked in. And for some iPhone owners, there is no way out.
That’s because it’s not just your iPhone that you’d be saying goodbye to. Many other apps and services you use every day — some without even thinking about it — make switching to another platform nearly impossible.
Here are all the ways Apple makes it hard to jump ship and switch to Android.
This week on The CultCast: Samsung has been sending Apple foldable screens… is a folding iPhone on the horizon? Plus: Apple may have quietly fixed MacBook Pro’s ‘stage light’ flaw; Apple prepping products that will “blow you away”; and Tim Cook receives a brand new nick name from none other than Donald J. Trump, and his reaction is legendary.
Our thanks to Shapr for supporting this episode. Whether you are looking for investors, a co-founder, a new job opportunity, or just inspiring conversations, Shapr can connect you to professionals who truly want to share tips and help.
Apple’s long-rumored augmented reality glasses will finally arrive in 2020, according to a trusted analyst.
The first-generation specs reportedly will function strictly as an iPhone accessory. They will depend on Apple’s smartphone for processing, rendering, location services and just about everything else. Mass-production of the Apple AR glasses could start later this year.
Apple is said to be under pressure to deliver a foldable iPhone that can compete with upcoming devices from the likes of Samsung and Huawei.
Apple “cannot afford to ignore” the foldable phone trend, according to a new report. If the company doesn’t catch up quickly, industry observers warn Cupertino could lose its reputation as being “a leader of innovation.”
AT&T revealed that it’s finally making it easier to watch DirecTV Now on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV by integrating it into the Apple TV app.
The new update gives DirecTV Now subscribers the ability to keep track of their watching progress for TV series and movies across multiple devices will also bringing custom recommendations on new stuff to watch.
If you keep your stuff in Dropbox, it’s easy to grab a link to a file or a folder. Then you can send that link to another person or store it in, say, your to-do list so you can quickly open it with a click. You can even grab the link inside the iOS Files app.
But if you use iCloud, this simple task is no longer simple. In typical Apple style, a clean UI comes at the expense of hiding almost everything behind multiple taps and cryptic pop-up boxes. But all is not lost. You can actually grab a link to any file stored in your iCloud Drive — and use it in any app you please.
Apple is one step closer to manufacturing flagship iPhones in India for the first time.
India’s IT ministry today signed off on plans to build a local Wistron factory that is expected to produce the iPhone 8. It should make the device significantly more affordable to local consumers in the future.
You can now play PlayStation 4 games on your iOS device. Sony has finally brought an official Remote Play app to iPhone and iPad, giving gamers the ability to connect to their console and play almost anywhere.
Buying a refurbished iPhone is a great way to save a pretty penny, and now there’s another reason why you should consider avoiding the Apple Store.
One French company is selling rebuilt models that have been painted in pretty colors as part of its “Better Then Refurbished” program. They’re gorgeous, and they cost a lot less.
Apple came out with its 13th annual Supplier Responsibility Progress Report, giving an inside glimpse at some of the biggest issues it’s been battling.
The 66-page report is stuffed with interesting little facts, like how many gallons of water suppliers have saved and the amount of reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Apple admits it still has a lot of work to do, but the progress the company has made is pretty impressive. One of the biggest areas Apple emphasizes in its report is the people that work in the supply chain and the educational opportunities Apple is giving them.
Pixar is looking for a good Mac nerd to join its support team.
If you’ve ever dreamed of working for one of the most iconic animation companies in the world, but don’t have any actual animation skills, this might be your best chance.
Chinese online retailers have slashed iPhone prices for the second time this year.
The discounts are an effort to boost sales in an important market, where Apple recently suffered a 20 percent decline year-on-year. The first iPhone price cuts were rolled out in January.
However old your iPhone is, it records great audio. You can use it as a dictaphone, to make field recordings of ambient sounds, to “tape” music, and even sample everyday noises and make music from them. But how do you do it? How do you hook up, say, a portable keyboard or an MP3 player to your iPhone, and actually save a recording? Let’s see.
Apple has quietly updated the female British voice for Siri. The improvements can be heard today on HomePod and iOS devices.
The update comes just a few weeks after Apple updated the male British voice. It is believed the company could be working on improvements for many of Siri’s international voices.
Remember the games you used to enjoy on your iPhone and iPad in the early days of the App Store? The chances are few of them are still supported and available for download today, but the best could soon be making a comeback.
GameClub is a developer that plans to resurrect forgotten iOS games. The first title on its roster is Hook Champ, a game from Rocketcat that first hit the App Store in 2009, and you can play it today by signing up for early access.
Microsoft Edge for iOS now boasts instant web page translation.
The feature lets you visit your favorite foreign sites and enjoy them in your native tongue. It also gives you the option to quickly switch back to the site’s original language with little effort.
The grand unveiling of watchOS 6 is probably just three months away, but a cool new concept from Matt Birchler suggests some simple features that will hopefully get added in time for Apple Watch lovers.
In his annual watchOS concept, developer Matt Birchler lists all the ways Apple could make the Apple Watch platform even better. Most of the suggestions are pretty simple, such as always on watch faces, and would be easy for Apple to add. Hopefully, Apple’s software engineers are taking notes of these ideas.
After being one of the first out of the gate with a folding smartphone, Samsung is trying to entice competitors — including Apple — to join the foldable future.
Samsung, which debuted the Galaxy Fold at its Unpacked event on Feb. 20, has reportedly sent some foldable display panel samples to Cupertino in hopes of attracting Apple as a client.
Apple may or may not be ready to euthanize 3D Touch. My view is that it sticks around, neglected and unloved, forever more. Like Dashboard on macOS. (Yes, Dashboard still exists.)
That would be a shame, as 3D Touch really is an excellent augmentation to a touchscreen device. It’s also quite tweakable. Here’s how to adjust how it works, and — if you really hate it — how to turn 3-D Touch off altogether.
Apple is expanding its “There’s More to iPhone” marketing campaign to more countries in Europe after launching it last year in Germany.
New pages have been created on Apple’s websites for France and the United Kingdom detailing how the iPhone is “more than the device in your hand.” Security, recycling and privacy are some of the topics covered by little blurbs that tout the iPhone’s superiority. There are also three new videos to go along with it.
You can’t watch these on Apple’s U.S. YouTube channel though:
As much as I love my smartphone, there’s no doubt that they raise some problematic questions. From concerns about social media’s impact on mental health to the very real chance of being so glued to our devices that we miss what’s happening around us, the abundance of connected gadgets has caused plenty of problems.
Can you put down your iPhone, iPad, and other devices for 24 hours? This weekend’s National Day of Unplugging challenges you to do just that. From sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, it’s intended as a 24-hour global respite from technology. Can you bring yourself to take part?
Reduced iPhone demand in China has hit Foxconn employees’ salaries and benefits, according to a new report.
A number of workers say that their salaries were reduced at the end of last year, due to a smaller number of working hours available. There has also not been the usual Foxconn recruitment drive, which was previously an expected part of the iPhone manufacturing process.
With foldable smartphones becoming the hot new trend for 2019, iPhone fans are wondering when we’ll see something from Apple. It’s likely to be a while before a foldable iPhone hits the market, but there’s no question Apple is looking into it.
The company’s latest patent application details how it might prevent a foldable smartphone from breaking in cold weather.