Things didn't get too hot during Tim Cook's virtual visit to Capitol Hill. Photo: C-SPAN
Apple CEO Tim Cook mostly avoided questioning during Wednesday’s historic congressional antitrust hearing on the business practices of Big Tech.
Cook took only a handful of questions from the House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee. Lawmakers directed most of their questioning — which capped a year-long investigation into antitrust issues — at Cook’s fellow CEOs from Facebook, Google and Amazon.
Take this simple precaution to keep your chats private. Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac
Facebook Messenger’s new App Lock feature lets you add an extra layer of security to the popular chat app. iPhone and iPad users can switch on Face ID or Touch ID so they never need to worry about anybody seeing their messages.
The previously rumored feature, which Facebook rolled out for iOS devices Wednesday, is easy to enable. Plus, you can tweak a setting to make sure App Lock works ideally for you. Here’s all you need to do to turn on Face ID or Touch ID for Facebook Messenger.
There are a couple of quick and easy workarounds. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
It’s been almost five years since Apple brought picture-in-picture to iPad, and yet the feature still isn’t supported by the official YouTube app. But there are other ways to enjoy PiP with YouTube videos.
Don't do everything yourself. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Ready to start delegating some of your responsibilities to someone else? It’s easier than ever with Reminders in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, which gives you the ability to assign tasks to other people.
There's a lot more to discover in iOS 14. Photo: Apple
Apple showcased some major changes and improvements for iOS 14 during its big WWDC 2020 keynote on Monday — and it was just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more that we didn’t get to see.
We’re now discovering what some of those things are, thanks to the first beta release, which is already available to registered developers. Here are our picks for the best hidden features in iOS 14.
The tool you need is built right into Pages. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Need to share a Pages document that you don’t want others to edit? Turn it into a PDF before sending it. It takes just a minute and doesn’t require any additional software. Simply follow the steps in this pro tip.
So, you’ve tried out the new Unc0ver jailbreak and decided it’s just not for you. Or maybe it’s time to sell your iPhone or iPad for a shiny upgrade. The good news is removing your jailbreak and returning to stock iOS is easy.
Worried your hefty Pages document is too big to send? There’s a helpful tool baked right into Pages that can help you make it smaller. Here’s how to use it to make sharing documents quicker and easier.
Apple’s newest macOS update makes it easier than ever to check MacBook battery health, and to prolong its lifespan. In this pro tip, we’ll show you where to find the new battery health features, and how to check the status of yours.
Don't settle for the default CarPlay layout. Photo: Sony
CarPlay makes it safe to use some of your favorite iPhone apps on the road, and by default, anything with CarPlay support will automatically appear in your car. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Simplify your experience and make CarPlay even easier to use by customizing your layout and ditching apps you don’t need.
Soon, it'll be all in the neck and not the ear. Photo: Apple
Apple’s rumored over-the-ear headphones will include sensors to detect if they have been removed from the owner’s head or neck to stop or start audio, according to a Monday report from 9to5Mac. The headphones apparently will offer customizable equalizer settings as well.
3 potential fixes recommended by Apple. GIF: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Apple has finally acknowledged that some AirPods Pro units can produce “cracking or static sounds” while in use. If you’re experiencing these issues, there are some things you can try that might help eliminate them.
Apple adds new CDC guidelines to version 3.0 of its COVID-19 screening app. Photo: Apple
Apple updated its COVID-19 screening app Friday with new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including additional symptoms of the disease and tips on using cloth masks.
What do you do? Well, that one is probably safe, as it uses YouTube’s own URL shortener. But what about all those other shortened URLS you see in emails, on Twitter and everywhere else? They could link to anything. A cautious person never clicks on links in emails. And only an insane person would click on shortened links in emails. That’s why you need today’s shortcut, which lets you expand a URL, preview the actual link, and then tap a button to either open it or dismiss it.
Comparing the iPhone 12 with the iPhone 11. Photo: EverythingApplePro
Want a glimpse at the (possible) new iPhone 12 Pro Max? YouTube channel EverythingApplePro and Max Weinbach have posted what they claim is a leaked design for the new handset, based on supposed CAD drawings.
As expected, they suggest that the new iPhone will borrow design cues from the squared-off, boxier iPad Pro redesign. It also looks set to sport a slightly thinner profile, just 7.4mm thick next to the 8.1mm of the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Oh, and notch-haters might be pleased by the smaller notch on the device.
Face ID will let you train it while wearing a folded mask. Photo: Xuanwu Lab
Face ID is great, as long as your iPhone can see your face. A mask — like the ones we all should be wearing to slow the coronavirus pandemic — blocks the iPhone’s Face ID sensor from seeing your face. That means you either need to remove the mask (bad) to unlock your iPhone, type in your passcode every time (annoying), or disable the passcode entirely (a terrible idea).
But, according to in-depth research from China’s Tencent Xuanwu Lab, you can train Face ID to work while you’re wearing a mask. It needs some careful setup, but once it’s done, it works reliablly and quickly. You can even wear glasses.
Zoom lets you keep attending your local yoga class, but at what cost? Photo: Anupam Mahapatra/Unsplash
Video-conferencing tool Zoom is seeing a surge in use during the coronavirus pandemic, due to people being stuck at home and unable to meet in meatspace groups. I’ve read about people using Zoom to drop in on yoga and pilates classes, as well as for more usual business-related activities.
Is Touch ID really necessary? Mockup: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Apple is working to bring Touch ID to Apple Watch for the first time, according to new reports out Friday. The company is said to be exploring two methods of integrating the technology into its wearable for easier unlocking.
The new model may prove particularly interesting to Apple Watch Series 2 owners, who are expected to miss out on Apple’s upcoming watchOS 7 update this fall.
The first reviews of Apple’s new and improved MacBook Air are out just days after its official unveiling. It will come as no surprise to fans of the machine that each one has great things to say about Apple’s most popular notebook.
New configurations, increased storage, a reduced price, and — most importantly — and brand-new Magic Keyboard make this a stellar MacBook Air upgrade. Still not sure? Here’s what the critics have to say…
Apple faces tough decisions about a potential March product event and WWDC 2020. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
With COVID-19 spreading in the San Francisco Bay Area, and at least one upcoming event at a critical planning stage for the high-tech giant, Apple must make some tough decisions about how to proceed, according to conference experts contacted by Cult of Mac.
Apple faces mounting pressure to decide whether to cancel, delay or change the format of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, typically held in June. The same holds true, although to a lesser extent, for Apple’s rumored March product keynote.
“There’s a lot to consider for Apple and it won’t be easy,” said Ian McGonnigal, marketing executive with Experiential Executive, who has consulted on conference and convention planning with more than a dozen Fortune 500 companies. “Reputation is a huge challenge here and that’s part of it. Companies don’t want to appear tone-deaf to what’s going on out there.”
Super-charge your web searches with this customizable Home screen shortcut. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
This fantastic shortcut makes searching the web with your iPhone faster than ever. It places an icon on your Home screen, and you just tap it, type a search into the box that pops up, and hit enter. Your search will then open in Safari.
This customizable search shortcut proves speedier than pretty much any other method, including iOS’ built-in Spotlight search.
Switch on a hotel TV, and you’ll likely run into its paywall very quickly. You probably don’t want to view any of the hotel’s stupid pay channels, but maybe you do want to hook up your iPad and watch some of the shows you brought along with you.
You’re typically still out of luck, though. These locked-up TVs won’t let you access their HDMI ports. Nor will they let you connect via AirPlay, if they even support Apple’s streaming protocol. However, there’s an absurdly easy way to disable all this dumb “security” and watch video from your iPad or iPhone to a hotel TV.
Glacier raises the bar for Shot on iPhone videos. Photo: Vallée Duhamel
Great looking shot on iPhone videos are a dime a dozen nowadays, but I guarantee you’ve never seen anything like this one.
The creative team behind Vallee Duhamel pushed the iPhone XS Max camera to its limit for their conceptual video Glacier that has to be seen to be believed. Apple commissioned the video to be made for one of its Today at Apple sessions and will be playing it at stores worldwide to inspire iPhone owners to push their own creativity.
Buckle up for a short film that’s out of this world:
Brady Ogle loves his Apple Watch for many reasons. Photo: Brady Ogle
Brady Ogle knew something was wrong with his body. It took the Apple Watch to confirm it.
24 hours after New Year’s Day, Ogle reported for work like any other workday at an AT&T store in Granbury, Texas, just south of Dallas. For the preceding three months, the 30-year-old hadn’t been feeling well. He visited his doctor but was told he might be suffering from a mild case of indigestion and to simply manage it from home with a proper diet.
Still, his symptoms kept preying on his mind. Something was wrong. He could feel it.
Split View is great, but it's way too hard to use. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Apparently, some people really hate multitasking on the iPad. It’s easy to see why. All you have to do is accidentally drag a link in Safari, instead of just tapping on it, and you end up with a split-screen view, with that link in its own window. And getting rid of that window is a huge pain, even if you know how to do it.
Fortunately for people who hate iPad multitasking — which isn’t really multitasking, but is Apple’s term for the confusion of multiple-window views on iPadOS — Apple lets you turn off the feature. Here’s how to disable iPad multitasking (and why you might not want to).