Don't settle for subpar noise cancellation. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Active noise cancellation is one of the big selling points of AirPods Pro, so you probably expect it to actually work after you’ve splashed out $249. But if you’re running into noise cancellation problems, there are ways to fix them.
Fall detection on Apple Watch can be a real life-saver for those who are unsteady on their feet, but it isn’t enabled by default (unless you’re 55 or over). Here’s how to activate it on Apple Watch Series 4 or later.
An iOS 15 concept design simplifies the Home screen... and looks familiar. Concept: Roland Mészáros
When concept designers imagine the future of iOS, they often pack in new features. A new design goes the opposite route, simplifying the look of the iPhone to “keep you focused,” in the words of the artist.
Still, it finds space for some Home screen widgets, which are supposed to debut in iOS 14.
Escape keys for everyone. GIF: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
$299 won’t get you much in an Apple Store these days. It won’t even buy you an Escape key with your iPad Pro Magic Keyboard. But if you’re finding life a little difficult without one, there is a quick and easy way to add your own.
No excuses! You could be doing one of these workouts right now. Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac
Apple Watch supports a huge selection of workout types, but most of the popular ones, like running and swimming, you probably can’t do right now thanks to the coronavirus lockdown. Fortunately, if you delve a little deeper, you’ll find plenty of Apple Watch home workouts you can choose from that require little or no special equipment.
So why not take the opportunity to master a whole new kind of exercise? Here are 20 Apple Watch indoor workout options you can do at home right now.
I have an app I use every day, but whenever I open it, it opens to a new, blank document, instead of the project I was working on when I closed the app. To open that project, I have to mouse up to my Mac’s menu bar, click on File > Recent Items…, and find it in there.
To fix this, I set out to find a way to easily access the last few projects from this app. What if I could put this list of recent projects into my Mac’s Dock? It turns out that you can easily do this, using a quick Spotlight search, a Smart Folder and a drag to the Dock.
Nick Fancher's portraits are "remotraits." Photo: Nick Fancher
Photographer Nick Fancher has been photographing models in his studio at a time when COVID-19 social distancing rules have forced his contemporaries to cancel portrait sessions.
But the only chances the Columbus, Ohio-based Fancher takes are creative ones. In the very spot where models normally stand for him, Fancher is projecting live images of sitters following his directions via FaceTime.
Kerry Bishé closes out the first season of the new Amazing Stories Photo: Apple TV+
Amazing Stories’ season finale “The Rift” serves as a case study into the rebooted show’s highs and lows. With its five-episode run complete, the ways in which the Apple TV+ anthology series succeeded — and the ways it failed to cohere — become more obvious than ever.
“The Rift” was directed by Mark Mylod and written by Don Handfield and Richard Rayner (co-creators of History Channel’s Knightfall). However, the episode takes more cues from executive producer Steven Spielberg than nearly any of the preceding entries, to both its detriment and its occasional benefit. The real MVP of the piece, however, is the perpetually underrated Kerry Bishé.
The filthiest part of you computer is probably its keyboard. It’s the part you touch the most, it’s the part you likely use to catch the debris from your lunch, and it’s the part that you probably never clean, because you don’t look at it enough to get grossed out. And these days, as doctors warn us to wash our hands constantly (and correctly) to avoid the coronavirus, you probably want to make sure that your keyboard is not just clean, but sanitized.
This is a fairly straightforward process, so let’s get started.
New to working from home? Here's how you can get the most out of it. Photo: Hello I'm Nik/Unsplash CC
COVID-19 lockdowns mean more and more people will find themselves working from home. While everyone agrees that staying away from the office is the right thing to do, working from home nonetheless comes with certain challenges. These work-from-home accessories can help.
If you want to thrive in this new environment, you should consider investing in some or all of these items. They will make you more productive, and more comfortable, as you wait out the coronavirus pandemic. And, yes, I assume you already own a computer you can work on. (If not, those new iPad Pros look pretty hot.)
Made from military-grade materials, the Elkson bumper keeps AirPods Pro free from scuffs and scratches. It also has a handy carabiner that lets you attach your beloved buds to almost anything.
Writing this AppleScript is as easy as writing your shopping list. Photo: David Ballew/Unsplash
Every morning when I sit at my Mac to start writing, I open the same apps and start the same iTunes playlist. This repetitive, tedious task is what computers are supposed to do for us, so I figured I’d make my Mac open up those apps, and start that music playing, all without me having to do anything.
That dream was quickly quashed — the Mac isn’t quite able to read my mind yet. So I settled for the next best thing: An AppleScript that I can leave in the Dock, and then click once to open everything. The best part is, it’s absurdly easy to make your own.
Stockholm's excellent public transit. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Apple Maps offers surprisingly great public transport features. It recently expanded transit directions across Europe, so you can get “turn-by-turn” directions for metro, tram and other modes of public transit.
Even if your city isn’t yet covered by these directions, there’s still a whole lot of really useful information available. For instance, just tap a station on the map, and it will show all upcoming departures.
Let’s take a look at Apple Maps public transit features.
Change the lame smart replies on your Apple Watch. Image: Apple
You know when you reply to a message on your Apple Watch, and it’s such a pain to write it out a letter at a time or to dictate your reply (only to have Siri mishear you)? The alternative is to use one of Apple Watch’s canned responses. Unfortunately, they all sound like your account got hacked, or that you don’t care about the sender enough to come up with a proper reply.
However, you can customize those replies to make them much more useful. And with one clever trick, you can make Apple Watch smart replies sound just like you really wrote them.
A California judge whacks the FCC with a ruler over its testing standards for radiofrequency radiation, but says the case will continue. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
U.S. District Judge William Alsup allowed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Apple over allegedly exposing iPhone owners to high levels of radiofrequency radiation to move forward Thursday. However, the judge also blasted the Federal Communications Commission for its “dumb” testing standards.
These Alaskan jellyfish look good on Apple TV. Photo: Apple
Apple today rolled out 11 new screensavers for Apple TV. All have an underwater theme, showcasing marine life in oceans around the world. The update takes the total number of scenes to more than 80.
Did you know that your boss might be tracking when you open and read her emails? Or that anyone who operates a mailing list can see when you open their emails, thanks to read receipts?
But did you also know that it’s trivially easy to block read receipts? You can make your overreaching boss think that you never read her emails, or at least make her a bit more paranoid. Email tracking uses something called tracking pixels. Let’s see how to block them, and disable email read receipts on Mac and iOS.
Text-selection on the iPad can feel pretty clunky. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
iOS 13 (and iPadOS) fixed the frustrating text-selection tools on the iPhone and iPad, but only if you know how to use them. Selecting a single word or sentence is still way easier on a Mac, because you have a mouse and keyboard permanently attached. On the iPad, though, you can still find the text selection slipping and jumping like an oiled fish.
Use these iPhone and iPad text-selection tips to highlight words and paragraphs the easy way in iOS.
75 computers, a bunch of Newton MessagePads, and more. Photo: Jimmy Grewal
A large white room filled with row upon row of just about every Apple computer you can imagine, all in pristine condition. On the walls are framed copies of Apple’s black-and-white “Think Different” ads. Sunlight streams through the large windows, giving everything a warm glow.
Is this heaven? The world’s greatest Apple Store? Nope, it’s Dubai, actually. Home to Jimmy Grewal, a collector of vintage Apple computers and one of the most impressive collections you’re likely to find anywhere.
Cult of Mac pays real cash for your old Apple devices. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
If you were lucky enough to get new Apple devices for the holidays, it’s time to start thinking about what you’ll do with your old ones. They’re likely still worth a pretty penny, and Cult of Mac can help you get the best price.
Cult of Mac pays real cash and we won’t leave you waiting weeks for your money. Get a quote today to find out how much your old Apple devices are really worth.
Enter. You may be one of 10 lucky winners to receive a free copy of The Cult of Mac 2E. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
We want to put free copies of The Cult of Mac 2nd Edition on 10 coffee tables across the United States.
Now through Dec. 20, the Cult of Mac website will accept entries to give away this Mac book that is every bit as beautiful as a MacBook. All you have to do is enter your email in the submission widget below.
Rotor Riot Wired Game Controller is like plugging an Xbox controller into your iPhone. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
While the 100+ games on Apple Arcade are designed for touchscreens, many of them are more fun with a physical controller. That can be one from an Xbox or Playstation, but the Rotor Riot Wired Game Controller is a better option for iPhones because of its built-on phone stand and Lightning connector.
I tested this surprisingly-affordable MFi controller with some of the best titles on Apple’s gaming service. Read on to see why I’m so impressed by it.
Keep your Apple Watch safe with a proper, long, strong passcode. Photo: Chuttersnap/Unsplash
The default passcode length on the Apple Watch is just four digits. And while it’s true that you don’t keep as much sensitive data on the smartwatch as you do on an iPhone, and that your Apple Watch is arguably safer from bad actors because it is always strapped to your wrist, it’s still worth making this passcode more secure. After all, it’s not like you have to enter your strong passcode very often, right?
Today we’ll see how to change your Apple Watch passcode to a longer one. And we’ll also check out a neat feature that lets you skip entering the passcode altogether.