Apple purchased Texture back in early 2018. Photo: Apple
Apple is planning to launch its own paid magazine and newspaper subscription service, which will serve as a premium part of the existing Apple News app.
It is based on Texture, the $9.99 a month magazine service Apple purchased back in March. As happened with the Beats Music technology that went into Apple Music, Apple will use its acquisition as the basis for its own branded product offering.
This gentleman staring into a light represents the illumination of search. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Safari for iOS has a great feature: Quick Website Search. This lets you search the contents of a single website, using that site’s own built-in search. The clever part is that you don’t have to visit the site and tap into its search bar. Once Safari learns how to search that site, you can search it right from Safari’s own search bar.
Google Photos is the photo and video backup app we all wish Apple would give us. Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
You no longer need to buy the iPhone XS or XS Max to take advantage of one of the best features on the new devices’ camera.
Google Photos pushed out an update this morning that allows any iPhone owner with a Portrait Mode camera to adjust the background blur after a photo has been taken.
This old Wacom Bamboo stylus is more than enough "pencil" for many people. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
I’ve owned an Apple Pencil since I bought the first iPad Pro a few years ago. There’s nothing to touch it when it comes to drawing and painting on the iPad, but I found I didn’t ever use it for that. I mark up PDFs, make selections when editing photos, and sketch the odd diagram.
This time around, I’m saving my $130 by not buying the Apple Pencil mkII. Why? I don’t need it. Instead, I’m using the cheap, dumb stylus I found in my jam jar of pens and pencils. Let me tell you why.
Broken ZIP Shortcut metaphor. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Shortcuts isn’t just about asking Siri to help out when a cop pulls you over, or shutting your home down for the night. Shortcuts can also be little utilities that you use on your files, adding Mac-like functions to your iPad or iPhone. Today’s example shows how to make a shortcut that unzips files, and saves them to your iCloud Drive or Dropbox. Even in iOS 12, there’s no built-in way to unzip stuff. And with this shortcut, you won’t have to buy an app to do it.
The gold MacBook Air looks amazing. Photo: Jessica Whitaker
It didn’t take long for the first unboxing videos of the new MacBook Air to hit YouTube.
Apple just introduced its new MacBook Air yesterday but some lucky YouTubers have already gotten their hands on the new notebook and they’re raving about it.
Set a power nap timer --and more -- with your voice Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Here’s a great little shortcut that uses the new Set Reminder action in the newest v2.1 of Apple’s Shortcuts app. Tell Siri that you want to take a nap, and it will ask you for how long. It’ll then set a timer, and schedule Do Not Disturb for the duration. Get ready to clock some serious ZZZs with our power nap shortcut.
You can download any Instagram photo -- even this one. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
If you like a photo or video on Instagram, you can like it, or you can save it to your collection. But what about just saving it? You just can’t download Instagram photos.
This week, a friend of mine posted some awesome videos he shot on tape back in the 1980s. I don’t want to dig around in Instagram’s ever-more-convoluted app just to watch them. I want to save them to my iPhone’s Photo Library. Instagram doesn’t let you save an image. Even if you copy the Instagram link using the share feature, then open that image in iPhone Safari, you can’t get at the image.
So I made a shortcut to do it for me. Check it out.
Double the size of your MacBook screen by using your iPad as a second monitor with Luna Display. Photo: Astro HQ
Anyone who feels their MacBook’s screen is too cramped can now use their iPad as as second display just by plugging in a dongle. Luna Display is now available to all after a successful Kickstarter campaign.
Astro HQ promises that its hardware/software solution is better than purely software options for using an iPad as an external monitor.
Did the chips really make it into Apple's data centers? Photo: Pexels
Update: Apple and Amazon both issued lengthy statements Thursday concerning the Chinese spy chip allegations. We updated this post to include those statements.
Apple denies that Chinese spy chips infiltrated its iCloud server hardware after claims that motherboards used by Apple, Amazon and dozens of other tech companies contained microchips used for surveillance purposes.
Cupertino insists the story is “wrong and misinformed.” Apple also says Chinese spying had nothing to do with the company’s decision to cut ties with a supplier.
Ullu's Hand-Colored leather Piggyback Case in Tangerine. Photo: Ullu
We know and love Ullu’s leather straps for Apple Watch, so much so that they are best-sellers in Cult of Mac’s Watch Store. The company’s bread and butter, however, is its popular iPhone cases.
Check out any of Ullu’s social media and you’ll witness tons of A-listers toting around their various iPhones in Ullu’s luxurious cases. From wallet and strappy to Ullu’s famous SnapOn and dual-iPhone cases, there’s a chic option for everyone.
watchOS 5 turns Apple Watch into a walkie-talkie Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
You don’t need to buy the new Apple Watch Series 4 to get one of this year’s coolest new features on it.
As part of the watchOS 5 update released earlier this week, Apple introduced a new Walkie-Talkie app that lets you chat back-and-forth with other Apple Watch owners. The Walkie-Walkie app works no matter the distance between you and your friend. And it’s so easy to use, it might become your favorite new way to communicate.
You can now share links to your photos, including photos of grapefruits. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
iOS 12 adds a great new feature in the Photos app. Now, when you share a photo, you can choose to copy a link to that photo, and share that instead. This is a lot like sharing a file from Dropbox. You can even copy a link to a whole slew of files and share them by sending a single URL.
Shared photos are stored in iCloud, and the link is accessible to anyone that has it, for up to a month. Let’s see how it works.
Cupertino’s latest shiny wearable is really giving me the feels. Photo: Apple
Can Apple Watch Series 4’s fall-detection feature tell when you have fallen in love? I hope so, because I’ve really fallen for it. Big-time. I haven’t felt this way about an Apple Watch since my first love, the original model, was announced back in 2014.
It’s not just the sleek new design. Nor the spacious new screen. It’s not even the breakthrough new health features. It’s when you combine them all together. It defies all logic and reason that Cupertino managed to cram so much awesomeness into such a tiny, beautiful package.
I can’t wait to strap an Apple Watch Series 4 onto my wrist next Friday and take it for a run. But until then, here are my first thoughts on this exciting new direction for Apple Watch.
This USB-connected microscope lets you get up close and personal with any object. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Digital cameras sure have come a long way, but they’re limited by the realities of glass and plastic. So if you want to capture far-off subjects, you need a telephoto lens. If you want to photograph something close up, you get a macro lens.
If you want to get really close, you want a microscope.
This power bank will make sure your iPhone never runs out of juice. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
On camping excursions, road trips or just long walks, it’s important not to lose use of your most important devices. Without a backup battery, that’s no guarantee, so why not get a battery that can revive up to three devices?
With slots for 7 devices, this charging hub makes sure the tabletops are clear and everyone's devices juiced up. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
At home or at work, tabletops can get cluttered with mobile devices, and keeping them all charged can be a challenge. But with this high capacity organizer and charger, everybody’s device gets charged, and the desktop stays clear.
Recharge your iPad and iPhone simultaneously with the mophie Powerstation Plus XL. It even has a built-in Lightning connector and port. Photo: mophie
External batteries are widely available but surprisingly few of them are really designed with Apple users in mind. That’s because all too many require a microUSB cable to get power. The mophie Powerstation Plus XL is a rare exception.
It’s recharged through a built-in Lightning port. The new accessory has a Lighting connector on a built-in cable too. If that wasn’t enough, it can be wirelessly recharged.
Logitech's new wireless iPhone charger eliminates the heartbreaking overnight nudge. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Having a wireless charging pad on my nightstand means never having to fish around in the dark for a Lightning cable plugged into the wall. However, there’s a tradeoff: Switching to wireless charging also means I’ve awakened to a nearly drained iPhone more often than ever before.
Well, help is on the way for this admittedly first-world problem. The new Logitech Powered Wireless Charger eliminates the main drawback I’ve found when it comes to charging my iPhone wirelessly.
Take your pick of any two Casetify Apple Watch bands and get 20% off! Includes Stainless Steel, Woven Nylon and Saffiano Leather bands. Photo: Casetify
Now’s the perfect opportunity to up your Apple Watch style game and swap out that old strap for something fresh. Enter Casetify’s collection of fun and super stylish Apple Watch bands in Stainless Steel Mesh, Woven Nylon and the artist-inspired line of Saffiano Leather bands.
Browse the full lineup of Casetify bands in our Watch Store, and remember to use code CULTOF20 at checkout for 20 percent off when you purchase two Casestify Apple Watch bands through Aug, 31, 2018.
iOS 14's Home screen could be very different. Photo: Apple
A recent rumor claimed Apple will add dual-SIM functionality to at least one of the handsets in this year’s iPhone lineup. Now its latest developer update has all but confirms those claims.
Code discovered in iOS 12 beta 5 reveals Apple is already making preparations for a secondary SIM card slot in some iOS devices. It seems two traditional SIM cards will be supported, rather than a traditional SIM combined with embedded Apple SIM technology.
This car charger does double duty as a powerful portable battery, with a ton of cool features. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Running out of juice is just as annoying when you’re driving as it is when you’re walking around town. So why not have one device that solves both problems?
It's easy to hide your photos in iOS -- and just as easy to find them. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Did you know that you can hide photos in your iPhone’s Photos library? This lets you keep photographs away from prying eyes, while still having access to them yourself. And — ironically — it also makes it very easy to find all the embarrassing/explicit photos on somebody else’s iPhone.
Repping your World Cup team just got easier, as Casetify's inclusive collection features bold designs adapted from the countries' flags. Photo: Casetify
Who will it be? Croatia or France? Wear the World Cup on your wrist with Casetify’s colorful, tournament-inspired Apple Watch bands.
This international collection of bands represents 18 countries, the teams of which are currently battling it out at the 21st FIFA World Cup, held every four years.
This slim Bluetooth speaker does double duty as a high capacity portable battery. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
There are so many cool accessories we can get for iPhone. But after you get enough batteries, speakers, and other peripherals, they really start crowding your bag. So just like cell phones, the natural next step is for them to start coming together.