Jobs was predicting the power of Slack and similar tools 30 years ago. Photo: The Machine That Changed the World
As a result of coronavirus-induced lockdowns, the way we work has changed dramatically in 2020. Plenty of employees and businesses are now talking seriously about remote working and whether it represents a viable path forward for reimagining employment.
It turns out that Steve Jobs was talking about this exact topic 30 years ago. No, Jobs didn’t foresee COVID-19. But an old interview clips unearthed by journalist Jon Erlichman shares Jobs’ thoughts on the way technology can transform the way that you and I work.
The new iPhone will boast a new 'high-end' camera, says reliable Apple analyst. Screenshot: ConceptsiPhone
The makers of the “high-end” camera lens arrays used in the iPhone 12 will reportedly start shipping them in mid-July, says reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a research note published Friday.
Kuo doesn’t deal exactly what these new lenses consist of. However, he has previously suggested that the iPhone 12 will feature seven-element lenses that will offer superior image quality to the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro due to increased light transmission rate.
Apple Watch blasts water out of its speaker in an astonishing video. Screenshot: The Slow Mo Guys
Ordinary things become extraordinary when seen close up and in slow motion. The Slow Mo Guys present an amazing video of an Apple Watch using sound to blast water out of its tiny speakers after a dip in the pool.
The eye-catching Apple Magic keyboard could be available for a range of iPads. Photo: Apple
There’ll be versions of Apple’s clip-on Magic Keyboard for other models besides the iPad Pro, according to a reliable source.
Apple’s accessory wowed reviewers and users this spring, but it’s currently only for the company’s top-tier tablets. Apparently, that’s going to change.
The iPad is more of a real computer every day. Photo: Apple
Is the iPad Pro good enough to double as a serious desktop computer? If you ask Steven Sinofsky, former president of the Windows division at Microsoft, the answer is a resounding “yes.”
In a recent tweet, Sinofsky shared a photo of the setup for his “new desktop PC.” And, for a guy who made his name working for one of Apple’s long-time biggest competitors, it’s pretty darn Apple-centric.
iOS 13.5 makes it faster to unlock an iPhone while wearing a mask, as well as other features related to COVID-19. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
All iPhone users can now install iOS 13.5. This includes the tools Apple and Google created to make COVID-19 contact-tracing applications. And this update brings a number of other new features focused on the current crisis.
Apple also released iPadOS 13.5, which incorporates many of the same features.
Ready to go whenever you need it. GIF: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Fixing typos and other errors while typing on iPhone can be frustrating if you’re still stabbing away at the screen with your fingertips. Instead, turn iPhone’s keyboard into a trackpad for more precise cursor placement.
Apple’s newest 13-inch MacBook Pro is out with faster Intel chips and a brilliant new Magic Keyboard. It’s not quite the refresh many fans were hoping for, however, with a number of key upgrades still missing.
Here’s why you might want to wait for the next MacBook Pro refresh.
If you use your tablet outside more than in an office, you really need to consider the OtterBox Defender for 2020 iPad Pro. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
iPad Pros used in the field require hard-core protection, and there’s no better option than the OtterBox Defender. The case wraps the tablet in layer upon layer of plastic to cushion it from serious accidents. There’s even a built-in screen protector.
I encased my 2020 iPad Pro in the latest version of the OtterBox Defender to do some real-world testing. Here’s what I found out.
It's been almost eight years since the last iMac redesign. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
A redesigned iMac, a more affordable HomePod, and a powerful new Apple TV are just some of the products Apple has planned for 2020, according to one reliable reporter.
Bloomberg’sMark Gurman also revealed expectations for the 5G iPhone lineup, scheduled to launch this fall, and for a 14-inch MacBook Pro during a Twitter Q&A with followers on Tuesday.
An iPad and Mac simulator is helping medical workers learn to use ventilators during the coronavirus pandemic. Photo: Hamilton Medical
A ventilator simulator app for iPad and Mac is helping medical workers quickly learn how to use the life-saving machines during the coronavirus pandemic. The software, originally developed for classroom use, is now being used to train doctors on the fly as demand for ventilators — and professionals who can operate them — soars due to COVID-19.
The free simulator software looks and operates just like the Hamilton-C6, a state-of-the-art ventilator sold by Switzerland-based Hamilton Medical AG, one of the world’s largest medical ventilator manufacturers. Much like a flight simulator for pilots, the iPad app allows medical professionals unfamiliar with mechanical ventilators, or simply rusty after years of not using them, to practice adjusting settings without endangering lives.
“You don’t want to practice on a real patient, so that’s why we developed this simulator that basically provides that interaction,” Alexander Starcevic, director of marketing at Hamilton Medical AG, told Cult of Mac. “It provides you with a real interface that you have on the real ventilator. In addition, you have behind this a patient model that actually responds to what you’re setting.”
Kids will be able to fill their rings to unlock rewards. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Apple is planning to make some big changes to the Activity Rings on Apple Watch so that it’s more kid-friendly.
Leaked code from iOS 14 reveals that Apple plans to tweak how the move ring works when Apple Watch is in Kid Mode, allowing parents to set goals from their own iPhones. Instead of tracking calories burned though, the feature will focus on just movement.
The 2020 iPad Pro offers an additional GPU core, but its chip hasn't changed. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
A new investigation into Apple’s improved A12Z Bionic chip inside the 2020 iPad Pro reveals that it features exactly the same GPU found in the A12X Bionic for 2018 iPad Pro units. The one big difference is that an additional eighth core is now enabled, making it slightly faster.
Many fans are now criticizing Apple for what seems, at first glance, as intentional throttling. It is assumed Cupertino is disabling features in its newest chips, only to enable them later and market them as improved — even though they’re essentially the same on the inside.
Could it be that this is a scheme to make quick and easy cash? Actually, no. This is standard practice across the semiconductor industry. Others like Intel and Nvidia use exactly the same approach — and there’s a very good reason for it.
Here’s the real reason why an A12Z is just an A12X with unlocked potential.
The innovative LiDAR scanner in the 2020 iPad Pro is fast and accurate. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
The 2020 iPad Pro is the first Apple computer with LiDAR. This innovation enables the tablet to make an accurate 3D map of its location. Combine it with software improvements and this tablet is, in Apple’s words, “the world’s best device for augmented reality.”
And the LiDAR scanner might be usable for other purposes, as well.
Got an Apple Watch face you really like? Soon you might be able to easily share it with a friend. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
A leak from inside Apple indicates the next watchOS version will allow users to share Watch faces. In addition, parents allegedly will be able to set “Schooltime” limits, restricting what a child’s Apple Watch can do during certain hours.
Other changes coming in watchOS 7 have come to light as well.
Your iPhone’s Mail app is pretty good. It does most of what you need, and you can be sure that it doesn’t steal your email password, or send details from your incoming mail to Apple. There are even a bunch of very powerful smart folders and features hidden in its sidebar. But getting basic stuff done is sometimes awkward, thanks to Apple’s insistence on hiding everything in the name of minimalism.
That includes marking an email as spam. It’s actually easy, but you might not know how to do it. Today we’ll look at three ways to mark email as junk mail.
CEO Tim Cook says “Apple is fundamentally strong.” Photo: Fox Business
CEO Tim Cook promises Apple is fundamentally strong and will weather the problems resulting from the coronavirus spreading around the world. He says his focus isn’t on short-term changes in Apple’s share price, despite a recent significant drop.
In a wide-ranging interview with Fox Business recorded Thursday in Birmingham, Alabama, Cook also discussed whether his company will move more device production out of China, and his relationship with President Donald Trump.
These AirPods Pro are full-strength. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Tossed into the swirl of rumors and reports about coronavirus and its impact on Apple production is an alleged new entry to the AirPods lineup called “AirPods Pro Lite.”
The quotes bookending the product name are because no one is sure what to make of what is essentially a rumor first reported by a Chinese website with a mixed record for accuracy.
In the last few days, reports have surfaced in DigiTimes of a second “lite” version supplier, giving further credence to the various reports.
Samsung’s Quick Share is just like a feature iPhones have had since iOS 7. Photo: Samsung
Quick Share, a highlight of Samsung’s latest handsets, is a feature iPhone owners have been using for over 8 years. The Galaxy S20 and other new models from this company can wirelessly send files directly between two devices… just like Apple’s AirDrop.
I live in Germany, and even though my German is fine, I often get beaten by notices and signs. In my native England, signs and notices are snappy. They use few words, and often annoying slogans, to get the point across. In Germany, an A4 (legal-size) sheet of paper with densely spaced type is the norm. And that’s just from neighbors complaining about people leaving their strollers on the wrong side of the entrance hall.
So, I decided to do something about it. I wrote a Siri Shortcut that scans one of these German essays using the iPhone’s camera, translates it, and shows it to you. There are apps that can do something similar, but my shortcut is way better, for several reasons.
Hardware changes in the 2020 iPad and iPhone could noticeably improve augmented reality’s usefulness. Photo: Apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook called augmented reality “the next big thing” this week. But he kept quiet about his company’s specific plans for this emerging technology. So Cult of Mac reached out to industry analysts, who predict that this year’s iPhone and iPad will come with AR equipment built in. And, for the future, they’re optimistic about Apple’s rumored AR glasses.
Robert Hoyos has developed new software. Photo: Throwboy
On this day in 1984, the first Macintosh computers started shipping. Who could have imagined that 36 years later to the day, this iconic machine would be commemorated with a tiny plush pillow that fits in your hand?
Only one person possesses this kind of vision – Roberto Hoyos. His Throwboy brand is launching a crowdfunding campaign today for two new plush Mac toys.