Mobile menu toggle

News - page 176

Enter to win a stylish MacBook case from SwitchEasy [Cult of Mac giveaway]

By

A pedestrian carries a SwitchEasy Urban MacBook Sleeve while walking in a crosswalk.
Protect your MacBook the best way possible while out and about.
Photo: SwitchEasy

For this week’s giveaway, we teamed up with SwitchEasy, maker of one of the finest MacBook cases around. Two lucky winners will bag a SwitchEasy Urban MacBook Sleeve.

Made of water-resistant threaded polyester material, these laptop cases will protect a MacBook from scuffs and scrapes. And they look good while doing so!

Idris Elba’s Hijack thriller series flies onto Apple TV+ in June

By

Idris Elba in 'Hijack,' premiering globally June 28, 2023 on Apple TV+.
Idris Elba in Hijack, premiering globally June 28, 2023 on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ revealed the launch date for Hijack, a seven-part thriller starring Idris Elba. When it debuts June 28, the series will follow a hijacked plane in “real time,” with Elba playing a passenger trying to negotiate with terrorists.

The first images from the show were also released on Friday.

Ed Sheeran opens new Apple Music Live season May 10

By

Ed Sheeran plays on Apple Music Live from London May 10.
Ed Sheeran plays on Apple Music Live from London May 10.
Photo: Apple Music

Apple Music Live returns for its second season May 10 with a concert by Ed Sheeran at the Eventim Apollo in London. He’ll perform the whole of his new album “-” (aka “subtract,” because it’s a minus sign), Apple Music said Friday.

For the show, Sheeran will play with a 12-piece band that includes The National’s Aaron Dessner, who also produced Sheeran’s album. And in a new twist, you can watch Sheeran’s show and others to follow during the season on Apple TV+.

You paid how much for that Pro Display XDR? [Setups]

By

A Pro Display XDR typically costs about $5,000, but this user got his for quite a bit less.
A Pro Display XDR typically costs about $5,000, but this user got his for quite a bit less.
Photo: [email protected]

In a world of shockingly expensive Apple products, one magnificent items stands supreme — Pro Display XDR. If you’re among the legion of Apple fans who can’t quite crack open their wallets wide enough for a $1,600 Studio Display, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

Today’s MacBook Pro setup sports a Pro Display XDR that came at a shocking price, too — shockingly good, that is, all things considered.

Apple shines bright in a struggling smartphone market

By

Want an iPhone 13 on the cheap? Here's your chance.
Apple dominated the smartphone market in Q1 2023.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Shipments in the global smartphone market declined by 14% YoY in Q1 2023 to 280.2 million units. Despite the slowdown, Samsung replaced Apple as the world’s largest smartphone maker during the period.

Apple, however, continued its dominance, with iPhones accounting for nearly half the revenue generated by the smartphone market in Q1 2023. The company also took the lion’s share of the market’s profit.

EU warns Apple not to limit iPhone features to MFi-certified USB-C cables

By

Apple is raising some subscription services costs for the first time.
Apple could find itself in hot water if it places limits on how iPhones work with non-MFi cables.
Photo: Josh Davidson/Cult of Mac

Ahead of Apple’s transition from Lightning ports to USB-C for its devices, the European Commission warned the company not to limit the functionality of charging cables that don’t carry Apple’s MFi certification.

EU Commissioner Thierry Breton reportedly sent a letter to Apple addressing rumors that iPhone charging and data-transfer speeds might be reduced when using non-MFI USB-C cables. Breton reminded Cupertino that such limitations could lead to iPhones being banned from the European market.

5 reasons to ignore Apple’s rare revenue dip

By

Apple logo overlayed in front of a stormy sky with sun breaking through the clouds, and the text,
Despite a 3% year-to-year drop in quarterly revenue (to "only" $94.8 billion), Apple delivers plenty of reasons for optimism.
Photos: Michael & Diane Weidner and Sumudu Mohottige/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac

Perhaps the best phrase to describe the results of Apple’s most recent financial quarter is, “It could have been worse.” Total revenue dropped 3% as the company battled inflation and other macroeconomic problems not of its making.

Still, Apple’s quarterly numbers beat the overly pessimistic Wall Street estimates. And there is more good news buried in the results Apple reported Thursday (and in the company’s earnings call with investors). Read on for five reasons to be optimistic about Apple’s future.

Apple brings in robust iPhone revenue but Mac and iPad are down

By

The Company posted quarterly revenue of $94.8 billion, down 3 percent year over year, and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $1.52, unchanged year over year.
Apple posts quarterly revenue of $94.8 billion, down 3% year over year.
Photo: Alex Kalinin/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac

During the first three months of 2023, Apple’s total revenue dropped 3% year over year. iPhone was a bright spot, but revenue from virtually all of the company’s other product segments saw annual declines. CEO Tim Cook blamed the drop on a “challenging macroeconomic environment.”

While the financial news isn’t good, Wall Street had been expecting it to be even worse. AAPL is up in after-hours trading on the news.

Apple boosts iPhone, Mac and iPad trade-in values again

By

iPhone 12 Pro parts cost shockingly little
Your Apple device might be worth more than you think.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The amount of money Apple will pay you to trade in a previous-generation iPhone just increased. And that’s the second time this spring. The same holds true for Mac and iPad.

So, if you have an older Apple device sitting around, it might be worth more than you suspect.

Don’t miss these 21 deals on refurbished iMacs

By

You can have your pick of older and newer iMacs.
You can have your pick of older and newer iMacs.
Photo: Apple

Want an Apple desktop computer at a good price? Amazon bargain site Woot! is selling refurbished iMacs at discount prices through May 8. You can pick from 21 machines — right now, that is, while they last — with a selection of specs and colors.

The newest rigs date from 2021, most harken back to 2019 and a few date back to 2017 and even 2013.

Apple Arcade adds a whopping 20 games

By

Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade is ready to play!
Photo: Apple

Apple Arcade normally grows by one game a week, but Apple added no less than 20 new titles to the service on Thursday.

These include TMNT Splintered Fate, What The Car?, Disney SpellStruck and Cityscapes: Sim Builder — all exclusive to Apple Arcade.

See what happens when an iPhone falls 14,000 feet

By

Smith, just through the airplane's door, loses his iPhone at 14,000 feet.
Smith, just through the airplane's door, loses his iPhone at 14,000 feet.
Photo: [email protected]

You might’ve dropped your iPhone on the floor and felt massive relief to find it undamaged. Or maybe a bit cracked. But what happens when an iPhone plummets 14,000 feet?

Thanks to TikTok and a skydiver who failed to secure his handset, now we know. At least in this one very lucky case.

Unionized Apple Maryland staffers want a tipping system, higher pay

By

Apple Brompton Road is the first Apple store location in the UK with a dedicated Apple Pickup area.
Apple Maryland store employees have made some weird demands.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s Maryland store became the company’s first retail store to unionize earlier this year. This was despite Apple’s best efforts to head off all unionization attempts.

The store employees are now demanding a 10% hike in their pay, overtime policies and more time off. More importantly, they also want Apple to allow consumers to tip retail employees.

Ford won’t join GM in dumping CarPlay

By

Apple CarPlay
Ford is sticking with CarPlay, even as GM opts out.
Photo: Apple

The Ford CEO Jim Farley indicated his company will not end support for Apple’s CarPlay in the vehicles it makes. He said the decision was an easy one because a majority of Ford buyers own Apple products.

He was asked the question in an interview because rival GM recently announced it will end CarPlay support in some of its vehicles.

Wall Street thinks slowing sales will hit Apple’s bottom line

By

Wall Street thinks Apple is just limping along
Market watchers predict a down quarter for Apple.
Photo: Anna Nekrashevich/Pexels

Don’t expect record-breaking profits when Apple reveals its financial results from the first three months of 2023. Quite the opposite. Analysts are predicting that the company’s revenue and profits will be down when compared to the same quarter of 2022.

If true, this will be the second quarter in a row in which global problems cut into Apple’s bottom line.

Reddit links get fancy in Messages app

By

New sharing features for Reddit content include rich URL previews.
New sharing features for Reddit content include rich URL previews.
Photo: Reddit

Reddit updated its iOS app to allow rich-link previews for shared content, the social media chat site said Tuesday. That makes it easier to see what someone texted your way before you click through.

Before now, you’d just see the URL and have nothing else to go on in terms of what was shared, short of words in the URL or an explanation in the sender’s text.

Mac mini drives affordable ‘DIY Studio Display’ [Setups]

By

The user learned how to convert the 5K iMac display from a video.
The user learned how to convert the 5K iMac display from a video.
Photo: [email protected]

It’s great that Apple put out a high-quality display that costs a lot less than the $5,000 Pro Display XDR. But the Studio Display, at $1,600, is still too pricey for many folks. If you’d rather have a 5K display for way less than a grand, today’s featured M2 Pro Mac mini setup is for you if you’re willing to do some work.

Following an instructional video included below, the user converted a 5K iMac to a 5K standard USB display for about $700.

Play Fortnite on your iPhone again with Amazon Luna

By

Play 'Fortnite' on your iPhone again with Amazon Luna
You can once again fight to the death in Fortnite Battle Royale on an iPhone, no matter what Apple says about it.
Photo: Epic Games/Amazon

Epic Games Fortnite was just added to the Amazon Luna cloud gaming service. That means the very popular game is playable on iPhone and iPad, as well as Mac.

Because of a dispute between Apple and Epic, Fortnite has been banned from the App Store since 2020. But it’s now on Luna.

Google moves away from passwords, implements biometric passkeys instead

By

Google moves away from passwords, implements biometric passkeys instead
You don't need to remember a password to sign into Google accounts.
Image: Google

In a move it calls “the beginning of the end of the password,” Google began rolling out passkeys for its accounts Wednesday. The move means that users of Apple devices can sign into these accounts using Face ID or Touch ID rather than a password.

The underlying tech already comes built into iPhone, Mac, etc.

Early deals running out on Lego-like Yeelight Cube smart lamp for HomeKit

By

You can build all sorts of shapes and patterns with the magnetic units.
You can build all sorts of shapes and patterns with the magnetic units.
Photo: Yeelight

Yeelight launched its highly customizable, Matter-compatible and almost Lego-like Cube ARGB Table Lamp at CES 2023. You can mix and match its Matrix, Panel and Spotlight elements to suit your computer setup in myriad ways.

And the company’s Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign with early-bird deals of up to 36% off the standard kit ends in three days.

WhatsApp may let you transfer chat history between iPhones sans iCloud

By

WhatsApp logo
WhatsApp's 'Transfer Chats to iPhone' tool will bypass iCloud for chat migration.
Image: WhatsApp

WhatsApp is working on allowing you to transfer your chat history from one iPhone to another without iCloud. A local transfer tool will make WhatsApp chat migration faster and easier.

Currently, your WhatsApp history must be backed up to iCloud before it is transferrable to another device. This is a time-consuming process and also requires you to have enough free space in your iCloud account.

Demand for refurbished iPhones soars in India

By

iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 and newer 5G iPhones are in high demand in India's pre-owned market.
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

Refurbished iPhones are “selling like hot cakes” in India. This is despite Apple not officially selling pre-owned iPhones in the country.

iPhones already dominate the premium smartphone market in India. However, its share in the secondary market is 2x higher.

Bid on check signed by Steve Jobs to own piece of Apple history

By

Bid on check signed by Steve Jobs to own piece of Apple history
This check is from when Apple was still operating out of a garage.
Photo: RR Auction

A check that Steve Jobs signed in the earliest days of Apple is up for auction. The Apple co-founder sent the check to a consulting firm way back in 1976, when the upstart computer company still operated out of Jobs’ garage.

Also up for auction: a Steve Jobs business card from when he ran NeXT in the early 1990s.

iPad mini 6 gets a big $170 discount

By

2021 iPad mini 6
Apple's smallest iPad get a BIG discount.
Photo: Apple

iPad mini, the most compact iPad in Apple’s lineup, is available with a whopping $170 discount. The deal knocks selected iPad mini 6 configurations to their lowest-ever price.

You can grab the entry-level iPad mini 6 with Wi-Fi for $399.99, a sweet $99.01 discount on its $499 price tag. The more significant discounts are available on the Wi-Fi + Cellular model with 256GB storage.