Google is making improvements to its Google Maps for iOS app, including new features and updates intended to make navigation easier on both iPhone and Apple Watch.
Changes to the Google Maps for iOS app include a more-detailed navigation map that shows enhanced building outlines as well as streetlights and stop signs. It’s designed to help users traveling in unfamiliar locations.
With its silky-smooth rubber coating and advanced impact technology, Laut’s brilliant Huex case is all you need to keep your iPhone 13 protected and looking pretty. It’s tested for drops up to 13 feet, but still surprisingly slim.
What’s more, the Huex is fully compatible with MagSafe. Bag yours today in one of four great color options from the Cult of Mac Store.
Epic Games gave developers access to Unreal Engine 5, the next generation of its tool for creating 3D games. It offers “a collection of groundbreaking features for rendering real-time worlds in incredible high-fidelity detail.”
The new version of this software-development environment released Tuesday replaces Unreal Engine 4, which has been around since 2014. It’s used in many Mac, iPhone and/or iPad games, including Injustice 2 and Darkness Rises.
Apple will release AirPods Pro 2 in the second half of 2022, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. And when it does, the new buds will replace the current AirPods Pro rather than joining them in the lineup. That would signal a strategy change, Kuo said.
Why? After Apple added AirPods 3 alongside AirPods 2 in its earbuds lineup, it noticed a lot of people stuck with the less-expensive product rather than going with the upgrade. Apple wouldn’t want that to happen again.
The 2022 iteration of Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference will start June 6. Apple promised Tuesday the event will showcase the latest innovations in iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — which is code for unveiling the next major upgrades for these operating systems.
WWDC22 will be online-only for most people, but a fortunate few developers and students will be able to watch the keynote from Apple Park.
Popular tactical shooter Rainbow Six is on its way to mobile devices, publisher Ubisoft confirmed on Tuesday. The game, which will be somewhat similar to Siege, will see teams battling it out in familiar locations.
Rainbow Six Mobile is being built “from the ground up with mobile usability in mind,” its developers said. It will feature a new control system specifically for touchscreens, and “extensive” optimizations for smartphones and tablets.
Elon Musk this week earned himself a spot on Twitter’s board after becoming the social media giant’s largest shareholder. It was revealed on Monday that the Tesla CEO purchased a 9.2% stake in the company, worth almost $3 billion.
Musk also teased an edit button for tweets, which has been one of the most-requested features among Twitter users for many years.
Hulu today joined the list of third-party video streaming services that offer SharePlay support on iPhone and iPad.
Its latest app update gives viewers the ability to enjoy movies and TV shows with their friends over FaceTime while everyone stays in sync. It also adds the ability to easily switch between channels for Live TV users.
Apple reportedly increased iPhone 13 orders after coming to the realization that there’s not enough demand for smaller smartphones.
Both iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini experienced “dismal” sales performance, according to an analyst. And Apple already cut orders for its revised iPhone SE due to weaker-than-expected demand.
Both Apple TV+ and Netflix pulled out of a bidding war over a movie about Will Smith’s life amid controversy following the actor slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars.
In addition, Apple TV+ owns a $120 million film starring Smith entitled Emancipation. Already shot and being readied for release in time for next Oscars season, the movie could become a problem for Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ on Monday gave the first glimpse at Prehistoric Planet, its highly anticipated series of documentaries focusing on dinosaurs and other ancient animals. It’ll be narrated by Sir David Attenborough, and produced by Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton.
The eye-popping trailer shows off the series’ photorealistic visual effects from MPC (The Lion King, The Jungle Book).
A previous leak had already indicated that the iPhone 14 Pro Max will have a sizable hump, but new specs show the entire device is going to be… well, huge. But it’s all supposedly part of a significant improvement in camera specs.
These leaked specs also reveal other iPhone 14 Pro Max details, like the size and positioning of the new “hole and pill” design allegedly replacing the notch.
When you watch HDR videos on the mini-LED screens of a Pro Display XDR or a 2021 MacBook Pro, the displays can crank out up to 1,600 nits of brightness. But under most conditions, they’ll emit about 500. So a new app called Vivid, by developers Jordi Bruin and Ben Harraway, now offers to double usable screen brightness under all conditions.
“Full Brightness, System-Wide,” reads the app’s tagline.
SwitchEasy’s new MagWallet carries up to two credit cards and snaps onto the bag of your iPhone so that it’s always with you. It’s a lot like Apple’s MagSafe Wallet, only considerably more affordable.
The MagWallet’s stylish design is available in three attractive color options, all made from genuine leather. Bag one from the Cult of Mac Store today for just $34.99.
Here’s a word to the wise: Always carry your charged iPhone, and don’t ski or snowboard “off-piste” in the Alps at 10,000 feet by yourself. Tim Blakey got the first part right, just barely, and that’s why he’s alive today.
The British personal trainer was snowboarding solo off of marked trails near Zermatt, Switzerland — on a glacier — when he plunged about 15 feet down into a crevasse and got stuck. He couldn’t scale its icy walls. He was alive for the moment down there, but he was alone.
Alone, that is, except for an iPhone clinging to 3% battery life and a weak 3G signal.
Apple’s newest iPad Air has received some stellar reviews, though murmuring from some quarters claims it’s a bit on the flimsy side. But the owner of today’s featured setup seems over the moon about the new addition to her workstation, centered by an M1 MacBook Air and an LG display.
And she’s eager to get going with the new, much-ballyhooed Universal Control functionality using the new tablet, despite challenges.
It’s now been three weeks since any Apple operating system was in public beta testing. It seems work has stopped on significant updates to iOS 15, macOS Monterey and the other OSs.
And that’s a good thing. Here’s why.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has acquired a 9% stake in Twitter worth almost $3 billion. The purchase, revealed in a recent regulatory filing, gets Musk a whopping 73,486,938 shares in the popular social media platform.
Despite being described as a passive investment, one analyst believes the move is “just the start” of Musk’s involvement with Twitter.
There’s one thing you don’t do if you’re on Microsoft’s social media team, and that’s promote Apple products. It seems at least one person forgot that last week when they posted a tweet featuring an image of the M1 iMac.
The post, which was removed after a few hours, was about cleaning Windows machines “safely and smoothly.” Microsoft should know better than anyone that it’s not even possible to run Windows natively on M1 Mac models.
Apple has made iPad Air battery replacements slightly easier with a small but welcome change to the newest model. While it’s still difficult to get inside the device, removing its large battery pack is a simpler task for repairers.
It’s just one of many improvements you get with the fifth-generation iPad Air.
Refurbished versions of the newest MacBook Pro models are now available to purchase from the Apple Store online. Both 14- and 16-inch units are available with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, and customers can save up to $350.
This is the first time refurbs of these machines have been made available by Apple since they made their debut last year. But if it’s a bargain you’re after, you’re likely to find a better deal elsewhere.
Apple launched the iPad in stores exactly 12 years ago today, and the device has evolved enormously since then, in both capabilities and hardware. Today’s devices can do so much more than their forbearers. Tablets have lived up to Steve Jobs’ vision … and exceeded it.
Here are a dozen reasons to love what Apple’s tablet has become.
Benchmark testing of nine different iPhone models shows that less than half of them experienced any improvement to battery life from the recent iOS 15.4.1 update, despite Apple describing that as a major feature of the new version. More of the handsets saw a decrease instead.
On the devices affected, the drop in battery life is generally small, but it’s nevertheless likely to leave some iPhone users holding off on the update. Which is unfortunate, as iOS 15.4.1 also closes a security hole that Apple says has been actively exploited.
The good news is that Apple will bring in-display Face ID to the iPhone, finally eliminating the distinctive “notch” at the top of the touchscreen. The bad news is that it’s reportedly not happening as soon as possible.
This means we’re still years away from an iPhone with a truly edge-to-edge display.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: So, what’ll it be first? Good news or bad news about iPhone 14? We’re talking about Touch ID, a possible Apple hardware subscription service and an even bigger camera bump on the Pro model. Hoo boy!
Also on The CultCast:
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This week’s episode is brought to you by CultCloth. Forget about that overpriced Apple Polishing Cloth. This is the cleaning cloth your Apple devices deserve.