A politician in the UK is being blasted for spending public money on personalized AirPods, despite far cheaper wireless earbuds being available.
Labour politician Angela Rayner spent more than $3,300 on Apple gadgets at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This was as part of new home-working measures. Politicians were allowed to claim money to pay for technology they required to do their job.
If the latest Apple leaks and rumors prove correct, this year’s new Macs might seem strangely familiar. From colorful iMacs to the reintroduction of long-lost MacBook ports, it looks like Apple might go retro in a big way.
Cult of Mac writer Luke Dormehl dives into the phenomenon and makes the case for why going “Mac to the future” might be just fine.
And speaking of bad things … our Apple TV+ reviewer Scout Tafoya got an early look at Cherry, the new movie from longtime Marvel directors the Russo brothers. Let’s just say things went a little sour. (Scout’s blistering review of Cherry is pretty epic.)
On the other hand, he liked the new documentary Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry. That movie arrived on Apple’s streaming service this week, in case you’re looking for a little weekend viewing.
Read these stories and more in this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. It’s free and built for easy reading on your favorite iOS device. (If you don’t want to download the free app, you can get the links in any web browser below.)
This week on The CultCast: We’ve got new details and leaks on the upcoming MacBook Pros, iMacs and Mac Pro mini … or will it be the Mac mini Pro? Plus: Lossless music is coming to Spotify, which means the mythical Apple Music lossless is likely right around the corner!
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Apple TV+ reportedly picked Austin Butler and Callum Turner for the cast of Masters of the Air, a followup to HBO’s mega-hit Band of Brothers. Supposedly, two more lead actors have been chosen but not yet named.
The limited series will follow a group of bomber pilots during WWII.
Lyxo is an ultra-realistic game about bounced light. It’s also one of the most aesthetically beautiful games to arrive in the App Store for quite a while. And, yes, it’s possible to be both at once.
“I first had the idea while lying in bed one morning,” Tobias Sturn, the one-person development studio known as Emoak, told Cult of Mac. “I saw a beam of light falling beautifully into the room, and cutting through the shadows. Immediately, I thought of a game where the player uses mirrors to guide a beam of light through a completely dark room.”
Jump forward a little over a year, and this week Lyxo launched on iOS. Sturn took us through the game’s creation, including opening up his sketchbooks, and explained his crash course in physics to build the game engine.
Apple reportedly plans to shake up the design of the MacBook Pro later in 2021. Sources in the company’s Asian supply chain assert that a 14-inch model is on the way, a first for Apple.
Just as importantly, it and an improved 16-inch MacBook Pro supposedly will be the first macOS notebooks with a mini-LED display, improving the look of the screen.
San Francisco-based designer Arun Venkatesan is about to take delivery on a 2020 MacBook Air with an M1 chip to replace the 2013 MacBook Air he uses in tandem with his 2018 MacBook Pro. But the new Mac isn’t really what he’s excited about.
He thinks less about having the latest technology and more about how his tools fit into his design philosophy, which he wrote about at length here. Form and function meet in his elegant and minimal setup.
When the coronavirus pandemic hit last year, one of the many, many impacts of the spread was the delaying of Apple’s iPhone 12 series. While Apple and its suppliers were able to claw back some of the lost time, the iPhone 12 devices were ultimately pushed back to late October and early November, rather than the usual September release.
But while this might have been frustrating for Apple and customers alike, a new piece of research suggests it may have actually been a net positive. According to Counterpoint Research, the delay could turn out to have been a prudent move for Apple. It reports:
Antitrust investigators in the Netherlands are reportedly coming to the end of a “years-long” investigation into Apple and its control of the App Store.
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has been investigating this matter since 2019. It focuses on Apple’s “payments system” in the App Store, which charges developers 15% to 30% in commission. With its impending decision, it could become the first antitrust authority to rule on this contentious issue.
Apple is not developing a coronavirus vaccine passport with Google, despite European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s assertion that such an app is in the works.
On Thursday, von der Leyen told reporters Apple and Google were developing a potentially travel-boosting solution for the World Health Organization. However, “a person familiar with Apple’s position” says the EC boss is mistaken.
The will-they-won’t-they drama involving Apple and Kia’s possible team-up to build an Apple car is on again.
Shares in the automaker rose by up to 8.1% Friday, after rumors abounded that there is still a chance that they will work with Apple on an electric vehicle. Even if it turns out to be a slightly different vehicle to the one some are expecting.
Get ready to start traveling again with Casetify’s brilliant iPad cases. They protect your beloved tablet while safely carrying your credit cards and essential documents. And they’re available in a number of awesome designs.
A concept artist proposes an iPhone Pro without a Lightning port. Instead, he envisions a new dock port on the back of the handset where clip-on accessories could attach.
A beautifully made video shows off the concept iPhone as though it were real. Watch it now.
Many Target stores will become better places to buy Macs, iPhones and other Apple products. In a deal announced Thursday, there’ll be twice as much space dedicated to the devices in these locations, and Target employees will get additional training on using them.
Apple on Thursday released a critical macOS update that might save your MacBook from being damaged by a misbehaving USB-C hub or dock. The problem is severe enough that macOS Big Sur 11.2.2 was rushed out solely to fix this problem.
This new version might not be available for all users, as it affects only certain models.
Apple will highlight the contributions of women to society in many ways during Women’s History Month, including suggesting relevant outstanding books, podcasts and apps. It also plans virtual Today at Apple sessions led by female creators.
Plus, there’ll be an International Women’s Day Apple Watch Activity Challenge for March 8, and there’ll be other ways of observing this day.
Something weird is brewing in Apple land. The company, which for years wasn’t big on embracing its past, has gone retro.
While the innovations — ranging from the first 5G iPhones to the exciting new Macs powered by Apple’s proprietary processors — keep coming, Cupertino is reportedly revisiting some of its past designs for its next generation of products.
And you know what? I like it.
It’s a great time to pick up a new M1 MacBook Pro, with retailers like Amazon now slashing up to $100 off brand-new models, and Apple itself offering bigger discounts on refurbished units. And Cult of Mac can help make yours even more affordable.
We pay great prices for used Apple computers (and other Apple devices) — and we make the whole process quick and simple. We also cough up real cash that you can spend anywhere you like.
Apple is donating $1 million, along with iPads and other products, to Encircle, a Utah-based nonprofit dedicated to building safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth and their families.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is serving as honorary co-chair.
Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, will join the New Jersey Council on the Green Economy, the state said Wednesday.
The council will focus on “expanding the green economy and building a diverse workforce” while supporting clean energy initiatives and anti-climate change goals.
Apple carved out a massive 52.6% of the smartphone market in Japan in the last quarter of 2020. That’s according to the latest figures released by International Data Corporation (IDC), highlighting just how far ahead of the competition Apple is.
In the fourth quarter of the year, Apple reportedly shipped more than 6 million units to Japan, increasing 13.8% year-over-year. The next closest rival, Sharp, shipped only 1.4 million phones for a 12.4% share. Samsung, Apple’s biggest competitor worldwide, managed only 781,000 units for 6.8% of the market.
Apple began selling refurbished M1 MacBooks at well below their original prices. As they’re as much as $500 below the regular price, these are outstanding options for anyone who wants a laptop with Apple’s speedy M-series processor but don’t have the cash for a new one.
There’s a wide range of used MacBook Air and MacBook Pro units currently in stock at the online Apple Store.
iOS software engineer Christian Roman has a “love-hate relationship” with his impressive triple 5K display setup.
“It’s fantastic when it works,” he told Cult of Mac. “It’s a nightmare when macOS suddenly decides to stop working with triple screens.”
Fry’s Electronics, a brick-and-mortar retailer and Silicon Valley institution since the mid-1980s, has shut its doors. And, while it might be hyperbolic to say Apple killed the quirky electronics superstore, Cupertino certainly hammered a nail or three in Fry’s coffin.
The chain — which stocked a sprawling selection of TVs, stereos and other electronics alongside computer components, DVDs, groceries and less-savory items — became a go-to for geeks as personal computers took off.
But even with crazy themed stores that made it the “Walt Disney World of electronics stores,” Fry’s couldn’t compete in the sleek new retail world Apple created.
A deal between Foxconn and Fisker might eventually lead to Apple having its self-driving car produced by the same company that assembles iPhones.
Electric vehicle-maker Fisker agreed on Wednesday to team up with Foxconn to develop a “breakthrough electric vehicle.” Foxconn will manufacture the car.