You’re probably already protecting your AirPods Pro charging case, but what about the beloved little buds themselves? Elago’s new earbuds covers help keep them free from grime and provide a more secure fit.
They’re ideal for running, cycling, and other workout activities. They also come in a number of cool color options — including one that glows in the dark!
A 43-inch wide curved monitor is the highlight of Duncan Shultz's gaming setup. Photo: Duncan Shultz
Brisbane, Australia-based defense contractor Duncan Shultz loves Dungeons & Dragons. And that’s the main action his Mac-mini-and-wide-screen setup sees, although he also admits to using it to work for a living. An Aasimar Sorcerer’s got to eat, after all.
“The wide screen is simply awesome for my uses,” Shultz told Cult of Mac. “Specifically in running online D&D games. I can have video conferencing, multiple browsers, streaming software and other tools all open and accessible.”
In addition to the aforementioned sorcerer character — goes by the name of Selinth, BTW — Schultz is a dungeon master for Curse of Strahd campaigns, one online and one in person. Online he uses the Roll20 website and in person he uses EncounterPlus for iOS and macOS.
The Snapdragon X65 modem has just about everything the next 5G iPhone could need. Graphic: Qualcomm
Qualcomm unveiled a 5G modem that potentially could increase the network speed of future iPhones. The new Snapdragon X65 promises 10 gigabit per second connections, as well as reduced battery drain.
In its announcement Tuesday, the chip maker didn’t specifically say the modem is headed for Apple products, but the iPhone 12 uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 modem for 5G. And the two companies have a multiyear chipset supply agreement.
The Health app tracks how much you exercise and when. Police sometimes find that useful. Photo: Apple
A mere 18 steps recorded in an iPhone’s Health app helped send an Alabama man to prison for 16 years. He claimed he was sleeping when his webcam model wife was accidentally killed. But his iPhone said differently.
Hyundai's E-GMP platform is like a Lego base for electrical vehicles. Photo: Hyundai
According to the latest news, talks between Hyundai and Apple may have stalled. Still, if things start up again, the South Korean automaker’s E-GMP platform could be key to Apple’s ambitions to build an electric vehicle.
Hyundai’s promising E-GMP platform has a lot to love.
Building in the U.S. brought plenty of challenges. Photo: Apple
If you’ve ever wondered why Apple doesn’t do more manufacturing in the United States, a new report by Bloomberg offers a few answers. Covering the career of CEO Tim Cook, the article details the challenges of U.S. manufacturing, as epitomized by Apple’s Mac Pro factory in Austin, Texas.
“It was an experiment to prove that the U.S. supply chain could work as good as China’s, and it failed miserably,” a former senior manager is quoted as saying.
Factory was closed at the end of last year due to rioting over unpaid wages. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple supplier Wistron said Tuesday that it is currently looking to restart iPhone production at its factory in Karnataka, India. The factory was shuttered at the end of 2020 after riots broke out.
However, Apple notes that the company is still on probation — and that it will be keeping a close eye on it going forwards.
Google is Apple's biggest developer. Photo: Apple/Google
Google and Facebook are rivals of Apple, but they also rely on it a whole lot — as a new report by app analytics platform Sensor Tower makes clear. It highlights how Google and Facebook were two of the top three publishers on the iOS App Store in January, with Google holding the top spot.
It’s the perfect illustration of the “coopetition” relationship that exists between the tech giants.
The first folding iPhone might look something like this. Screenshot: Front Page Tech
Apple could have decided on the look of the first folding iPhone. Previously, the company was thought to be considering two options, but the winner is a “flip phone” design, according to a trusted Apple prognosticator.
The same source also has a hint that the folding iPhone might cost less than rival flexible phones. But it supposedly will not arrive before 2023 (and could come even later). With Apple’s focus on durability, the foldable iPhone could incorporate an advanced Liquidmetal hinge to improve longevity. Read more about Apple’s potential innovation here.
Jane is an upcoming Apple TV+ children's show about animal rescue. Photo: Apple
Apple is growing its slate of children’s programming with Jane, which is inspired by the mission of Dr. Jane Goodall. However, it won’t be a biopic of the famed chimpanzee researcher. Instead, it’s about about a little girl, her active imagination and a desire to rescue animals.
A new version of Dolly Parton’s 5 to 9 gets you an extra-long Apple Music trial. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple turned to country music legend Dolly Parton, Squarespace and the Super Bowl to promote Shazam and a new deal on Cupertino’s streaming music service.
You can use Shazam when listening to Parton’s just-released 5 to 9 advertisement to get five free months of Apple Music. That’s two months more than the usual offer.
In this setup, an LG curved monitor is great for work as well as movies and TV. Photo: Paul O'Toole
An IT professional who specializes in Mac and iOS home implementations probably has a leg up on the next guy when it comes to building an Apple-centric home office and man cave.
Or is it a man cave and home office? We’ll let Paul O’Toole, an IT pro from Worcestershire, England, decide that. It’s his, after all. He calls it a “sitting room,” actually.
He turned his garage into an office and movie palace, thanks to an LG 34UC99 curved monitor and a pair of HomePods running with his Mac Pro.
An illustration from a recent Apple patent filing shows a possible VR headset. Graphic: Apple
Dan Riccio, one of Apple’s top designers, is reportedly now concentrating all his efforts on the company’s virtual-reality visor and augmented-reality glasses.
Previously, he headed Apple’s hardware engineering team. Then Cupertino revealed in January that Riccio was transitioning to a new role. But it wouldn’t say what that role will be.
Apple had supposedly been working with Hyundai on its electric, self-driving vehicle. Photo: Mpho Mojapelo/Unsplash CC
Apple and Hyundai may have had the business equivalent of a high school relationship in the past few weeks. First they were just friends, then going steady, and now they appear to have broken up — and Apple’s got the hots for someone else. All on a suitably compressed timeline, of course.
Bloomberg reported the breakup Sunday, saying Apple has paused discussions with Hyundai and affiliate Kia Motors about building an electric car. Apple’s now supposedly talking to other automobile companies about a possible deal.
That roar you hear is the Apple car rumors redlining. Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
After years of low idling, the Apple car rumors are really revving up. Possible deals with Kia and other automakers … whispers about secret supply-chain maneuvers … even a surprising claim that Cupertino’s first cars “will not be designed to have a driver.”
That’s the kind of Apple car news you’ll find in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine.
You’ll also get more potential revelations about that other top-secret Apple endeavor — building a headset. Whether that will be a $3,000 niche VR model or something a little more down to earth remains to be seen.
And if that’s not enough good Apple news for one week, Snoopy is back for new adventures on Apple TV+. We’ve got reviews of The Snoopy Show as well as the latest episodes of Dickinson and Losing Alice.
Apple more than doubled the trade-in on the early return of the Mac mini Developer Transition Kit. Photo: Apple
Apple sweetened the deal offered to developers for the early return of the Mac mini that they used to test macOS Big Sur running on Apple Silicon. Friday, the company responded to complaints that it wasn’t offering enough for the Developer Transition Kits by more than doubling the amount of money previously offering for the units.
Is metal or plastic really the best material to make computers out of. How about sandstone? Photo: Hank Beyer/Alex Sizemore
Concept designers are supposed to think outside of the box. Hank Beyer and Alex Sizemore created some Mac designs that are so far outside of the box you sometimes can’t tell there ever was a box. Their computers are encased in stone, ice, beeswax and other exotic materials.
These possible Apple augmented-reality glasses aren’t all that sexy, but they also aren‘t a huge visor strapped to your face. Illustration: Apple
Apple filed a patent application that could give a first glimpse of the AR glasses the company is developing. An image included with the filing shows a small, lightweight augmented-reality device about the size of a standard pair of eyeglasses.
The primary focus of the patent is the ways the glasses might detect what its wearer is doing. These will allow the wearer to interact with the head-worn device in a variety of ways.
When you have more gear than you use, it's time to break it down to basic needs. Photo: Gareth Owen
Gareth Owen is a London-based professional sound designer whose job involves extensive CAD and acoustic modeling, but he also does sound effects work and multitrack mixing.
So he built a setup that functions as both his home office and a basic home studio.
You want a snack? Make yourself a pasta bake! Photo: Cult of Mac
A man in Worcester, Massachusetts, has reportedly wound up in hospital after accidentally ingesting one of his AirPods while sleeping.
Bradford Gauthier reportedly fell asleep wearing his AirPods, only to discover that he was missing one of them upon waking. He also felt a discomfort in his chest. That’s not a great combination of events.
Apple's first Apple TV+ movie picked up a bunch of nominations. Photo: Apple
Cupertino’s having a great week when it comes to Apple TV+ award nominations. Alongside being shortlisted for several Golden Globes, Apple also picked up 11 nominations for its shows (and one movie) for the 52nd NAACP Image Awards.