Typo? Or cutting insult? Apple’s former CEO once used the term “Fecebooks.” Photo: Cult of Mac
Disagreements between Apple and Facebook have made headlines recently, but bad blood between the two companies dates back decades. In 2011, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs even called the social-networking service “Fecebooks.”
Plans have gotten more ambitious it seems. Photo: TSMC
Apple M- and A-series chipmaker TSMC is reportedly planning to build more than just the one chipmaking factory currently announced for the United States.
According to Reuters, the company — which is the world’s leading edge semiconductor manufacturer — plans to build “several more” in the state of Arizona. TSMC’s original intentions to build a $12 billion chip factory in AZ were announced in May 2020.
A quick way to make your 2021 iPad Pro upgrade more affordable. Photo: Apple
Apple’s newest iPad Pro is on the way with a blazing-fast M1 chip, a Liquid Retina XDR display, and up to 16GB of RAM. Prices start at a rather steep $799, but Cult of Mac can help make yours more affordable.
Sell your old iPad to us today and we’ll cough up real cash that you can put toward a new model. We won’t leave you waiting for your money, and we typically pay more than other buyback services. Find out how much your old Apple devices are really worth in under a minute!
Teens spend plenty of time using tech. Is it hurting them? Photo: Apple
A new study suggests that there is “little evidence” for the supposed link between technology and problems with mental health among teenagers.
The study, carried out by the Oxford Internet Institute, cross-referenced longitudinal viewing and usage habits with depression, behavioral problems, and even suicidal tendencies among 430,000 people between the ages of 10 and 15.
Bengio has been working in machine learning for more than 30 years. Photo: LinkedIn
Apple recently hired ex-Google machine learning scientiest Samy Bengio, making him the latest artificial intelligence expert to jump ship for Cupertino.
Clubhouse attracted a whole lot of buzz earlier this year. Photo: Erin Kwon/Clubhouse CC
It’s not just teen-focused social media apps that face the fickle habits of their users. Clubhouse — the invite-only social audio app that pulled in enough celebrities, influencers and business professionals to make it the most buzz-worthy app of 2021 — seemingly faces the same challenge.
According to a report from Business Insider, Clubhouse is already hitting a hurdle when it comes to growth. After racking up 9.6 million installs in February, just 2.7 million people downloaded the app in March. That number fell to only 922,000 new users last month.
Apple has stopped signing iOS 14.4.2 and iPadOS 14.4.2. That means that it’s no longer possible to downgrade if you’ve upgraded to iOS or iPadOS 14.5.
The eagerly anticipated iOS 14.5 was a big iOS update for Apple. It introduced the ability to unlock an iPhone using an Apple Watch while wearing a mask, along with the controversial App Tracking Transparency feature, new emojis and Siri voices, a Podcasts app update, and more.
If you’re willing to risk ruining an AirTag, you can drill a hole in it. Photo: iFixit
There’s no direct way to attach Apple’s just-released AirTag to a set of keys because the item tracker doesn’t include a hole. But iFixit x-rayed the device and found three places a brave user could drill a hole.
There are critical security patches for Mac and Apple Watch. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Mac users can now download macOS Big Sur 11.3.1, a security-themed update to the version released a week ago. It closes security holes that Apple knows were exploited by hackers.
Monday was a busy day for updates. Apple also released watchOS 7.4.1 with one of the same security fixes. And it introduced iOS 14.5.1 and iPadOS 14.5.1 to take care of an App Tracking Transparency bug, and fix security bugs.
Today's update fixes a bug that kept App Tracking Transparency from working properly for some users. Screenshot: Apple
Apple rushed out iOS 14.5.1 on Monday, an update that fixes a bug in the App Tracking Transparency feature rolled out a week ago.
“This update fixes an issue with App Tracking Transparency where some users who previously disabled Allow Apps to Request to Track in Settings may not receive prompts from apps after re-enabling it,” Apple’s release notes said. “This update also provides important security updates and is recommended for all users.”
iPadOS 14.5.1, a version of the software for iPad users, also arrived Monday.
The 2021 iPad mini might look something like this. Concept: Cult of Mac
Apple’s next small tablet isn’t coming soon, no matter what previous rumors indicated. A trusted analyst and Apple prognosticator says the 2021 iPad mini won‘t be on the market until the second half of the year.
According to unconfirmed reports, this will be a significantly redesigned device, with a larger display.
Like your parents used to say, don't sit too close to the TV. Photo: kenneth_powers1@Reddit
These days, lots of folks rock two or three or even four large monitors in their computer setups. But some people go for one huge, mesmerizing display, like kenneth_powers1, among other Redditors — and it’s a TV set, at that.
Powers credits fellow Redditor TerronG for the inspiration to use a Samsung 43-inch TU-8000 series 4K Smart TV with his aging computer. Powers uses it with a 2013 MacBook Pro and a PC he built himself. TerronG runs a similar TU7000 series TV with a 2012 Mac mini upgraded with a newer SSD and additional RAM.
You might soon be wearing the equivalent of a medical laboratory. Photo: Apple
A deal between Apple and Rockley Photonics could add new medical sensors to the Apple Watch in 2022. That might include non-invasive monitoring of blood sugar levels, body temperature and blood pressure. It might even add the ability to measure blood-alcohol levels.
The British startup promises to “bring laboratory diagnostics to the wrist.”
If Apple makes a foldable iPhone, it might look like this concept design. Screenshot: ConceptsiPhone
A folding iPhone is two years away, according to a trusted industry analyst. When open, the device will have an 8-inch screen, significantly bigger than the current largest iOS model, which has a 6.7-inch display.
Demand for the 2021 iPad Pro far outstrips supply. Photo: Apple
Order the 12.9-inch version of the 2021 iPad Pro today and it won‘t arrive before late June. And maybe not until July. Apple started taking pre-orders for the first M1-powered tablet on Friday, and anyone who didn’t move quickly could wait almost 10 weeks for the device.
The delay is apparently caused by the new mini-LED screen.
Apple Music Hi-Fi is only a rumor. But there’s at least one good reason to think it’s true. Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple Music Hi-Fi, a version of the streaming music service offering higher-quality audio, could debut “in the coming weeks,” according to an unconfirmed report.
What the new streaming rate will be is unclear. But it will have to take an on improved version of archrival streaming service Spotify.
Squeeze some extra utility out of your Apple gear with these Control Center tips. Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
If you looked at Cult of Mac this week, you saw loads of news about the release of iOS 14.5 (with its controversial App Tracking Transparency feature) and about Apple’s astonishing earnings.
But did you miss all the useful tips in our Control Center Week series?
For those not familiar, Control Center is one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. The how-tos, written by our own Killian Bell, explain how to get the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac. In case you didn’t see them all — and there are a lot of them! — we rounded them up in one place.
Hit that link, or read them in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Time to seize control!
These adventure-ready Bluetooth speakers come in fun colors. Photo: Ultimate Ears
This week, Cult of Mac is giving away one Ultimate Ears’ fantastic Wonderboom 2 portable speakers. You have a chance to win this small-but-mighty outdoor speaker that costs $99 and is available in four colors.
If you win, you can take the Wonderboom 2 on all your outdoor adventures this summer. The road-worthy Bluetooth speaker is the size of a softball but pumps out sound the size of a giant beach ball. With 13 hours of battery life, you can rock on well into the evening. If you want the party to never end, be sure to enter this giveaway.
Some rooms just scream "fun," don't they? Photo: andygigante_82@Reddit
Illustrator and graphic designer andygigante_82 knows how to place his computer setup in an entertaining context. The fantastical space is his “Little Hobby Hole” — which he writes with a trademark symbol — as depicted in his Reddit post.
Looking at his photos, you might not notice the computer gear. That’s understandable, given every shot’s explosion of dynamic graphics, colorful action figures, skateboards festooned with his own graphic designs and more.
Does Apple's App Store control give it an unfair leg up? Photo: Apple
The European Commission accused Apple on Friday of wielding an unfair advantage over Apple Music rivals because of Cupertino’s tight control of the App Store’s commission system.
“By setting strict rules on the App Store that disadvantage competing music streaming services, Apple deprives users of cheaper music streaming choices and distorts competition,” said Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager in a statement. “This is done by charging high commission fees on each transaction in the App Store for rivals and by forbidding them from informing their customers of alternative subscription options.”
It’s not just U.S. tech giants that fear iOS 14.5’s new App Tracking Transparency feature. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, with a market cap of $646.84 billion, is supposedly very worried, just like Facebook.
A report from The Information says Alibaba invited half a dozen marketing execs to its Hangzhou headquarters to discuss how to react to the new feature, which stops apps from tracking users across websites and third-party apps.
The Magic Keyboard for iPad looks incredible. And it’ll be usable with more than one generation of iPad Pro. Photo: Apple
Turns out the 2020 version of Apple Magic Keyboard does fit the slightly thicker iPad Pro set for release in May. Apple said Thursday the accessory is “functionally compatible” with its newest tablet.
The clarification was necessary because previous statements from the company seemed to indicate that only a new, larger version of keyboard case was usable with the 12.9-inch version of the 2021 iPad Pro.
Demand for iPad and all tablets remains robust. Screenshot: Apple
iPad shipments increased a whopping 75% during the first quarter of the year over same period of 2020, according a market analysis firm. It’s the result of people needing computers to work and learn from home as the pandemic drags on.
Other tablet makers saw strong Q1 2021 growth as well, but iPad continues to dominate the market.