New York’s attorney general issued a warning Wednesday about AirTags being used to secretly track people. And this is only the latest in a growing controversy over misuse of Apple’s tracking tags.
Perhaps Apple should drop the item tracker completely. At the very least, the functionality needs to be scaled way back.
Pokémon Trading Card Game Live, the newest game from The Pokémon Company, enters beta testing on iOS and macOS next week before it makes its official debut. But there is a rather large catch (excuse the pun).
If you want to be one of the first to play Pokémon TCG Live, you must be Canadian.
Apple is making a number of nice design improvements to its Podcasts app in iOS 15.4. The biggest is the ability to filter podcast episodes by season.
That particular change undoubtedly will prove handy as users navigate their way through long-running shows. But it’s not the only new option for podcast filtering in Apple’s latest beta.
Twitter’s upcoming Safety Mode feature, which is designed to automatically detect and block trolls from your timeline, was this week expanded to more users in many English speaking countries before it rolls out to everyone.
Safety Mode first entered beta with a limited number of testers last September. It is now available to around half of all users in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and more as Twitter looks to “collect more insights” on how well it’s working.
YouTube has again extended its Picture in Picture test on iPhone and iPad. The test was originally supposed to end last October, but after multiple extensions, it is now scheduled to conclude on March 14.
It means you still cannot enjoy the feature without a YouTube Premium subscription.
For some time now, the wireless earbud market has grown toward the bursting point, with all sorts of options for active noise canceling buds with wireless charging, long battery life, solid waterproofing and other features for prices between $75 and $150.
But if you’re sick and tired of paying less for more, Sony has something new for you. You can pay $178 for earbuds without ANC or wireless charging, plus pedestrian battery life and minimal waterproofing. Meet the all-new Sony LinkBuds Truly Wireless Earbuds!
What do you get for that price? Sony’s reputation, plus an interesting new compact, lightweight, open-style design that might work great for at least some people.
The iPhone 6 Plus was a game changer for Apple back in 2014. But it’s riding off into the sunset now that it’s been added to Apple’s list of vintage products, limiting its repair options.
And the iPad 4 from 2012 is now officially obsolete.
If you have an elderly Mac that’s not up to the demands of the latest macOS version, you can turn it into a Chromebook. All you need is Chrome OS Flex, an operating system Google created for older Macs and PCs.
The OS is still in beta, and targeted at businesses and schools. Nevertheless, it might become a way to bring some new life to your obsolete Mac.
It’s safe to say not everyone loves Apple’s stock carrying case for its flagship headphones, AirPods Max. You might even say some people hate the case. So it’s worth noting when an alternative comes along, like Intelli’s stylish new CarryOn case, released Tuesday.
And they look like a solid choice to carry AirPods Max whether or not you’re traveling at 30,000 feet.
Rilee & Lo is now offering its biggest-ever discount on its entire collection of stunning stretch-link bands for Apple Watch — as well as the matching stacking bracelets.
Bag yours from the Cult of Mac Store before the sale ends at 11:59 p.m. PT today to get 50% off the usual price.
If your computer setup tends to get cluttered — and whose doesn’t? — you have a new tool. That is, if you own a 24-inch iMac or plan to get one, anyway. On Tuesday Twelve South rolled out an updated version of its popular BackPack shelf just for the latest M1 desktop Macs.
Using the BackPack shelf, you can stash all sorts of stuff, like USB-C hubs, hard drives and other devices, out of sight behind your computer.
How do you make your emoji stand out in a sea of similar designs? You give them an awesome 3D makeover, of course! That’s exactly what Microsoft is doing with more than 1,800 emoji characters inside Microsoft Teams.
The redesign, which starts rolling out today in an early preview, will be available all platforms — including macOS, iOS and the web.
Wordle fans are already upset with The New York Times, the popular game’s new owner, for making big changes to its original word list.
The updates, which are designed to make the game more accessible, the publication said, include the removal of obscure and potentially offensive words. And they’re having a big impact on the game’s social aspect.
Apple is expected to introduce its first MacBook Pro with a next-generation M2 chipset in March, but it may not be the upgrade many fans are hoping for.
A new report, citing a “reliable source with close links to Apple’s supply chain,” claims the device will be identical to the 13-inch MacBook Pro — complete with Touch Bar. It is not expected to get a display upgrade.
Got a broken Apple device that needs fixing? The Apple Support app has begun showing repair cost estimates in some locations, giving customers an idea of how much they’re going to have to cough up before they book in.
The estimates appear to be available for “common repair topics” — like replacing broken displays and back panels, or swapping out old batteries — for the most popular iPhone and iPad models in use today.
Hopefully you didn’t forget Monday is Valentine’s Day, and you can celebrate with the Peanuts gang. The 1975 special Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown is available to stream on Apple TV+.
Unlike the new Peanuts shows and specials on Apple’s streaming service, this one was written by Charles Schultz himself.
The iMac Pro might start reaching customers in early summer, according to a very reliable tipster. While some are hoping for a debut as soon as March, that’s apparently overly optimistic.
And the leaker says reiterates that the all-in-one desktop will have a mini-LED display.
Dutch regulators hit Apple with another $5 million fine Monday for not properly complying with new rules that say dating apps should be allowed to accept alternative payment methods. The penalty now totals $20 million.
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) dismissed Cupertino’s feeble attempts to satisfy its requirements and said developers should not have to build brand-new apps to offer alternative payments options.
There’s something special about old Apple gear. Maybe that’s why it comes up fairly frequently in Cult of Mac‘s Setups coverage. One of the most-beloved classics in Apple’s storied history of beloved products is the Cinema Display. Today’s featured setup sports not one but two 30-inch Cinema Displays, the big stunners Steve Jobs introduced to an absolutely dazzled Worldwide Developers Conference audience in 2004.
So, naturally, questions came up about how to best use them with a newer Mac.
Zoom issued a quick fix for its native macOS app over the weekend to address a concerning bug that left microphones active when they shouldn’t have been.
It comes after many Mac users complained the app was still listening in after calls had ended. It is the second time Zoom has attempted to eliminate this issue, so here’s to hoping this update actually does its job.
Missed out on getting the perfect Valentine’s Day gift? Make it up to them with help from the Cult of Mac Store, where you can save on stellar iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch accessories.
Buy one, get one half-price on the entire lineup of SwitchEasy products — which includes great cases, bands, stands and more. This deal ends at 11:59 p.m. PT Monday, so enjoy it while you still can.
Regulatory filings for three new Mac models have been spotted ahead of Apple’s rumored spring event next month. Recent reports suggest Cupertino could be planning a new MacBook Pro with a next-generation “M2” chipset. Rumors also indicate Apple continues to work on a bigger iMac, a new MacBook Air and a new Mac mini.
The filings come after Apple last month registered a new iPhone and a new iPad — believed to be an upgraded iPhone SE with 5G support and a refreshed iPad Air likely to pack the newest A15 Bionic processor.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple code once again refers to a mysterious “realityOS” for a virtual/augmented-reality headset. Vague rumors about the new device, which we’ve been hearing for years now, look set to become very real, very soon.
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.
Just a day after Apple touted its beefed-up privacy precautions for AirTags — in the wake of criminal incidents involving the tracking devices — an article in The New York Times on Friday showed their superiority to Tile and GPS trackers.
A reporter tracked her husband using all three kinds of devices. She found the AirTags not only better at tracking him in an urban area, but also better at tipping him off to the tracking.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 has the best chip available for an Android smartphone, but it can’t keep up with Apple’s A-series processor in the iPhone 13 series. Apple’s flagship solidly beats Samsung’s new top-tier models in benchmark tests. It isn’t even close.
And this is despite the iPhone 13 coming out months ago.