Sharing is caring. And easier than ever. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
iCloud Drive previously worked a bit like Dropbox, asking users to drag and drop files into a special folder in order to access them across multiple devices. That changes in macOS Sierra, which allows you to enjoy the benefits of iCloud with the added bonus that your files can stay exactly where they are.
Here’s how to use this useful new feature in Apple’s new Mac operating system, which is currently in public beta and will be released this fall.
iPhone's rivals already offer faster charging. Photo: The Malignant
A new iPhone 7 component leak suggests Apple’s next-generation smartphones will finally deliver faster charging technology. According to one leaker, the devices will feature “at least” five volt two amp charging.
Rachele Lane watches her husband, John, try his hand at soldering at KansasFest. Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac
Cult of Mac’s David Pierini is at KansasFest this week to write about the community of people who celebrate the foundational Apple II computer.
KANSAS CITY, Mo – If you’re going to carry a torch for the Apple II computer, you better know how to control its heat and melt a little solder.
The Apple II will turn 40 next year. Many of these seminal machines will light up like new thanks to a community of people who have to be their own Genius Bar. So KansasFest is not just about love, but the labor of keeping that love alive.
macOS Sierra wants to stop you running out of space. Here's how to let it help you. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
With macOS Sierra, Apple makes it easier to free up space on our computers without having to undergo the time-wasting indignity of trawling through files and deleting them manually.
The new “Optimized Storage” feature helps you deal with junk like duplicates, old email attachments and downloads — and automatically sifts through them to delete the files or move them to the cloud. It’s one of macOS Sierra’s best features.
Here’s how you can use it to your advantage if you’re running the new operating system, which is currently in public beta and will be released this fall.
Meet the Libratone ONE Click. Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac
Libratone makes speakers so gorgeous they look like they belong in a museum more than in my home. The company’s latest wireless speaker is so damn cool I’m tempted to take it with me everywhere.
The new ONE Click speaker from Libratone’s new portable lineup packs more features than any wireless speaker I’ve ever used while coming in a form factor that is adaptable to so many different uses it’ll make your head spin.
It's easier than ever to get the Amazon Echo to play tracks from Spotify Premium. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Barking out a song request at my Amazon Echo smart speaker, then hearing the track magically start playing, makes me feel like I’m living in the future.
Unfortunately, that feeling evaporates when the song isn’t part of the relatively skimpy Amazon Prime Music catalog. If it’s not there, Amazon’s AI assistant Alexa queues up an annoying 30-second sample — and that makes me realize I’m living in the very buggy present.
Luckily, you can fix that. Here’s how to make Amazon Echo default to Spotify so you don’t get stuck with those annoying song and album previews.
We've got reviews of iPhone 6 cases in almost every category you can think of. Photos: Lyle Kahney, Milo Kahney, Rob LeFebvre, George Tinari and Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac
Updated: Check out two new battery cases for the iPhone 6/6s, the Moshi iGlaze Ion and the Spyder PowerShadow.
Protect your iPhone investment with the perfect case. Whether you’ve chosen the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s or 6s Plus, and 7 or 7 Plus. Cult of Mac has your phone safely covered. We receive and review a massive number of cases and bring only the best to you here in our review roundup, with new cases to be added each week.
Each case is tried and tested, with iPhone protection being the top priority. If you need something rugged and extra-durable, a minimalist case with sleek lines, or one in which to slip your credit cards and cash, browse our evolving list of featured iPhone 6 cases.
As soon as it was released, I rushed to install the new iOS 10 beta on my iPhone. The only problem is, new betas can be buggy. Really buggy.
If you made the same mistake and want to return to the stable and reliable iOS 9.3.2, there is a solution. In this week’s Quick Tips, I’m going to show you how to downgrade from iOS 10 to iOS 9.3.2. Check out the 60-second video below!
The new MacBook Pro vs the Old. Photo: Cult of Mac
This week on The CultCast: MacBook Pro spy photos reveal some juicy new features, but some old favorites go bye-bye. Plus: Apple may finally update its ancient Thunderbolt display; why moving iPhone to a three-year update cycle would suck; and stay tuned for more weird and wacky super-fan stories from The Cult of Mac.
Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to build a website that looks beautiful on any device that visits at Squarespace.com. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10 percent off.
“It’s alright,” I tell the Upright posture trainer, which is attached to the base of my spine. “I’ll do it right this time.”
I’m not looking at the device itself; that would be impossible. Instead, I’m looking at the three smiley-face icons in the thing’s companion app. The green one is lit up now, but I just slipped into yellow for a second before I caught myself, and if it hits the red one — either from me slouching or overextending my back — it will be unpleasant.
The LockSmart Mini uses Bluetooth and talks to your phone to unlock. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
In a world full of smart and connected devices, a standard run-of-the-mill padlock just isn’t going to cut it for me. Thanks to Dog & Bone, though, I don’t have to settle.
This is the LockSmart Mini: a keyless, Bluetooth padlock taking the hassle out of remembering to keep those tiny little keys safe. And, saving me from trying to remember yet another four-digit passcode.
To see the lock in action and to check out my full review, see the video below.
Give your phone a jump-start with the JumPack. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
JumPack Power Pack CPP 8000 by Cobra
If you’re anything like me, you carry a ton of gadgets. Keeping them all charged is a juggling act and, inevitably, there’s always one device I’ve neglected to keep juiced.
Coming to my rescue though, Cobra sent over a JumPack Power Pack to charge up all my devices. Plus, it comes with an extra trick up its sleeve.
Your iPhone will feel a lot snappier with this little trick. Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
If you’re still rocking an older iPhone, you might notice that things are starting to feel sluggish when you run the latest iOS 9.3.
If so, there’s a quick trick to speed up your iPhone: simply disable those pretty animations in iOS 9. Your iPhone will feel quite a bit snappier as a result.
Right now, that’s just a small blemish on an otherwise darn near perfect record. But the concern is that it could signal the start of a much greater decline, ushering in an era in which Cupertino is no longer the overwhelmingly dominant force in all things shiny and aluminum.
Should Tim Cook and Co. really be worried about declining demand, and should fans be worried about Apple’s future? Or will our favorite gadget maker be back with a bang?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we throw hands (not literally) over these topics and more!
Bring all the fun of an analog board game to your iPad. Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
If I ran the world, Krosmaster Arena, a fabulously fun and deep strategy game that started out as a board game with delightfully sculpted miniature figures, would be topping the charts right alongside stuff like Clash Royale or Angry Birds.
Of course, I don’t, but I’m hoping each one of you reading this tries it out on your iPad so you can experience the joy of playing it digitally.
Space Box is a decent platformer, but its hook doesn't quite work. Photo: Tom Graczyk
Let me say this up front: Space Box is a fantastic game. It’s challenging, fun, and has some really great mechanics and art. And if you have a set of virtual-reality goggles to plunk your iPhone into, you can even play it hands-free in 3-D using head-tracking controls.
And that’s where it runs into some trouble, but you shouldn’t let it ruin the game for you.
So comfy, you'll forget you're wearing them, except for all the music. Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
Best List: Sphear in-ear monitors by Focal
When I think earbuds, I don’t think comfort. They’re light and let you take naps while in, but there’s really only so long I can handle keeping them in my ears.
That’s why this new set of “in-ear monitors,” called Sphear is so exciting — I’ve had them in to watch Netflix on an iPad, gone for a long training run, and just wore them around the house while working and making dinner for my kids.
Every time I put them in, they impress me with their balanced tone and high-quality sound. Most of all, though, I forget I’m wearing them. They’re that comfortable.
March yourself right into fun. Photo: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac
There’s nothing better than kicking back and playing an iOS game that respects your time, money and energy. Games that keep you entertained without costing you too much (especially at first) can be a great way to spend your time, whether you’re chilling on the couch at home, on the subway home after a long day at work, or waiting at the dentist’s office.
Here are all the hot new iOS games we found ourselves playing this month.
Which iPad model is best for you? Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
With the iPad lineup now verging on unwieldy, it’s harder than ever to decide which Apple tablet to buy. Which iPad is best for you? That’s going to depend on your needs, desires and budget — but your iPad buyer’s guide can help!
Do you go for the massive appeal of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro or opt for the smaller-but-newer (and slightly gimped) 9.7-inch iPad Pro? Will a tiny iPad mini suit you, or should you opt for an iPad Air 2, which is still a very capable, thin tablet?
All good questions! We’re here to help you answer them with this handy iPad comparison, just in time for when the new iPad Pro goes on sale Thursday, March 24 (most likely at 12:01 a.m. Pacific, according to Apple Support).
Start capturing your iOS gaming with this handy trick! Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
There are many reasons you may want to record your iPhone screen: demonstrations, tutorials, gaming and much more.
Sure, there are apps out there that can do this for you, but the only downside is that they use up valuable storage space on your iPhone or iPad. In this week’s Quick Tips video, I’m going to show you how to record your iOS device to your Mac in under a minute.
There are plenty of ways the FBI's demands hurt the U.S. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
There’s no shortage of possible repercussions to Apple’s current standoff with the FBI, regarding whether or not the company should create a backdoor to help unlock iPhones involved with potential terrorist or criminal cases.
But while Apple (and others) have argued that this represents a damaging blow against privacy, a recently-filed amacus brief in support of Apple by former secure technology company Lavabit has a more direct example of how the FBI’s demands may hurt America: by driving tech companies offshore to avoid having their reputations damaged.
Get up to speed with these awesome Safari tips Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The mobile web browser of choice for most iPhone and iPad users is still Safari. As the stock browser for iOS, it has been a staple of the iPhone since its release in 2007, but Safari has a few subtle features you’ve probably never heard of.
With Safari going through so many changes with each new iOS version, some tricks may have sneaked past your attention. In today’s video, we’ll show you 10 killer Safari tricks every iPhone and iPad users needs to know.
Get serious with a Lightroom crash course that won't take too much of your time. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Even if the “teacher” is a college kid with bad diction, the one-hour Lightroom Basics course that I just took is pretty darn fantastic.
I have to take a lot of photos here at Cult of Mac, especially for reviews. Every gadget and gewgaw I review gets a big, bold photo at the top to best show off its features.
Because of this, I’ve been hoping to get serious about my photography for a while now. The first step was to sign up for one of these amazing, useful courses.
Podcasting doesn't have to break the bank. Here are some high quality rigs and Mac apps to get you started. Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor
Podcasting has been experiencing a renaissance lately, and for good reason. Podcasts can be about a wide variety of topics, from Apple to sports, comedy, storytelling and so much more. It’s a great time to get into podcasting because the barrier to entry is so low and you don’t have to break the bank to buy a totally workable setup.
Some of the greatest podcasts in the iTunes Top Charts are regularly recorded using sub-$100 to $300 mics. Whether you want to gain influence in a community or nerd out about the latest iPhone, a podcast is a great place to do it.