WhatsApp is preparing to greatly increase the security of its desktop and web apps by adding two-step verification during the sign-in process.
Users will be prompted to create a six-digit PIN as an additional layer of protection for their account. They will then enter this when registering their phone number with WhatsApp again — like when signing in on other devices.
Apple is preparing to launch the “widest array” of new products in its history, according to a new report. This fall is expected to bring new iPhone models, a more affordable MacBook Pro, and big refreshes for iMac and Mac Pro.
That’s in addition to a “revamped” MacBook Air, new AirPods Pro, and lots more. Apple is also said to be preparing an iPhone SE refresh for this spring.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Leaks, rumors and government filings give us an even clearer look at what Apple’s product pipeline looks like for 2022. We’re expecting big changes to the pro Mac lineups this year — including a hybrid Apple “Frankenchip” based on the M1 series.
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.
The U.S. Apple Store for Education reversed a recent change Friday, dropping the requirement that shoppers prove they are a university student or teacher before they can get products at a discount. This surely comes as a relief for home-school teachers. But it’s also good news for anyone willing to fib to get a discount.
It’s not clear if this is a temporary rollback or a permanent change, though.
In a new ad, Mad Men star Jon Hamm scrolls through the movies and shows on Apple TV+ and notes a conspicuous lack of Jon Hamm.
“Hey Apple, did I do something to offend you?” the actor asks.
The interrupted second season of Central Park will resume on March 4. The Apple TV+ musical comedy has eight more episodes with the madcap adventures of the Tillerman family.
The series has garnered multiple Emmy nominations, and the first half of the second season has a amazing 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Toward the end of January, Casetify plans to launch an expansive Peanuts-themed iPhone accessories collection. That’ll give fans of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, Linus and the rest of the gang the chance to snap up special iPhone cases, MagSafe wallets and more.
In a world awash with multi-device charging stations that juice your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods at the same time, it’s refreshing to see an unfamiliar design once in a while. Intelli provided one recently when it launched its new StepUp Magnetic Wireless Charging Station.
With its tidy little pop-out charging platforms, the MagSafe-compatible StepUp can be a sleek charger just for your iPhone or transform into a 3-in-1 for your trio of devices. But even fully deployed, the design is compact.
Danny Phantom heads to the tennis court with SpongeBob. Or Garfield faces down Invader Zim. It’s not animation day at Wimbledon — it’s Nickelodeon Extreme Tennis. The stars of animated shows past and present compete in a very unusual version of the sport.
The game debuted Friday on Apple Arcade.
If your computer setup had three screens, including a MacBook Pro, an iPad and a 32-inch external monitor, would you make the iPad the center screen? Would you put your screened devices on stands, or leave them at or near table level? Today’s setup saw a transition that might actually save its owner from years of physical therapy.
“This is what neck pain would look like if it were a setup,” someone said about the “before” photo, above.
Beats Fit Pro headphones, which made their debut last November, pack spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, the Apple H1 chip for quick and easy pairing, and active noise cancellation. Get yours at their lowest price to date.
The black models are currently available from Amazon for just $153.11 for a limited time. That’s $46.88 off the usual price.
Give your Apple Watch a suave and sophisticated makeover with this stunning Steel Loop band from Laut. It’s made entirely from high-grade stainless steel and available in a number of cracking color options.
It’s also wonderfully affordable at under $34 after a 15% discount.
Apple this week dropped a pair of new ads for iPhone 13, highlighting its newest handset’s brilliant battery life and durability.
One of the one-minute clips shows iPhone 13 being used to film a boy during a day-long bike ride. The other shows the device being used as a toy, hammer, baseball bat and more by an energetic toddler.
The watchOS 8.4 release candidate that rolled out to beta testers on Thursday eliminates an Apple Watch charging bug that first surfaced around a month ago.
The issue, which mostly affected Apple Watch Series 7, prevented devices from charging when using third-party accessories from a wide range of brands. But with the latest watchOS 8.4 update installed, everything is back to normal.
Apple TV+ is making a series set in Legendary’s MonsterVerse that includes movies like Godzilla vs. Kong. The show will be live action, and continue the story of humanity’s battle to survive in a world populated with city-crushing behemoths.
The U.S. Apple Store for Education now requires shoppers to prove they are a university student or teacher before they can get products at a discount. Before now, it essentially operated on the honor system, which was a giant loophole.
After the change, shoppers can’t even see the discounted prices without getting verified first.
Update: Apple flip-flopped on this change. Read more in, “Apple’s educational discount ‘loophole’ is back!“
The macOS Monterey 12.2 release candidate went to developers on Thursday. This makes a full launch only a few days away.
Apple has yet to give an official list of changes in the upcoming version, but beta testers indicate it will offer smoother scrolling on MacBooks with ProMotion displays and a rewritten Apple Music app.
Apple also seeded to developers iOS 15.3 RC, iPadOS 15.3 RC, watchOS 8.4 RC and tvOS 15.3 RC on Thursday.
Every year Samsung subsidiary JBL rolls out a tempting raft of updated or new audio products at CES, but you can’t get them right away. CES 2022, held in Las Vegas earlier this month, was no different. The company showed its new JBL PartyBox Encore and a slew of other Bluetooth speakers, earbuds and headphones. We’ll round them up below. Some are coming in spring and others in summer.
Apple seeded the iOS 15.3 release candidate to developers on Thursday, along with the iPadOS equivalent. Surprisingly, the updates appear to include nothing but bug fixes and security updates. There are no new features. Still, I t’s possible these will take care of a headline-making WebKit bug that leaks user information.
Release candidates for macOS Monterey 12.2, watchOS 8.4 and tvOS 15.3 are also out on Thursday.
Apple TV+ will premiere The Sky Is Everywhere, a story of love and loss, just in time for Valentine’s Day.
A trailer for the upcoming film debuted Thursday, giving viewers a first look at a young woman simultaneously dealing with the death of her sister and her first love.
It’s your last chance to save on a range of stellar accessories for Apple Watch, AirPods and more. Everything from Elkson and Mifa is currently discounted by 15% in the Cult of Mac Store, but the sale ends later today.
Enjoy it while you can!
Illinois is the latest U.S. state to file a bill that could force Apple and Google to accept third-party payment systems inside apps.
The “Freedom to Subscribe Directly Act,” supported by Hey app developer Basecamp, wants to prohibit both companies from requiring developers to use the App Store and Google Play to sell software and subscriptions.
With a 15% share of the market, Apple Music is now the second-biggest music streaming service in the world, according to the latest data. It remains significantly bigger than rivals like YouTube Music and Deezer. Over the years, Apple has consistently evolved its music offerings, with features like apple.music replay allowing users to revisit their favorite songs and discover their listening trends.
However, Apple Music will have to fight to stay ahead of Amazon Music, while catching up with Spotify will be an incredibly difficult task.
iOS and iPadOS 15 fix a pretty serious security flaw that allowed third-party applications to access Apple ID information and recent search terms.
Apple this week confirmed the fix in an update to its security content guide for iOS 15. It does not look like the issue has been eliminated in iOS 14, which is no longer receiving standalone security updates.
Apple has confirmed that giving users the option to skip iOS 15 updates and stick with iOS 14 was always intended to be temporary.
Its clarification comes after it last week stopped delivering security updates to those who have chosen not to update their devices since iOS 15 made its debut last September. iOS 15.2.1 is now the only upgrade option.