Apple makes great phones, tablets, computers and smartwatches. It also makes superb commercials — and has done so for years.
What was the cream of this year’s Apple advertising crop? Check out our top 10 picks (in no particular order) below.
If you were lucky enough to bag a new Mac for the holidays, you’re probably on the hunt for some awesome new apps to use on it. We’ve rounded up five of the best that we think every Mac owner should be using.
These apps will let you play any video, keep a close eye on precious storage space, extract important data from your iPhone and iPad backups, and more!
Got your new Apple Watch up and running? It’s time to start exploring all the amazing watchOS apps available to you. We’ve rounded up five of our favorites that we think every Apple Watch owner should be using.
Say goodbye to 2020 with the help of Snoopy and his friends. Apple TV+ is now showing Happy New Year, Charlie Brown.
It’s one of many holiday specials appearing on Apple’s streaming video service, which is now the home of all things Peanuts.
If you found some new Apple gear under the tree or in your mailbox, this week’s how-tos are for you. We’ll show you how to set up your new iPhone, Apple Watch, etc., and also recommend some hot apps you should download immediately to maximize your fun and productivity.
Get those tips, plus the week’s to Apple news and opinions, in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. It’s our gift to you! Or, like every week, you can get the headlines in your browser below.
P.S. Don’t miss the epic poem, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas at Apple Park …” by Cult of Mac scribe Luke Dormehl.
Got a new iPhone or iPad for the holidays? Make the most of it by getting your hands on some of the best, most useful iOS apps. We’ve rounded up five of our favorites that we think every iPhone and iPad owner should be using.
There are a lot of things to love about Apple’s new AirPods Max headphones, but the Smart Case isn’t one of them. Roundly panned after the high-end cans’ release, it’s just plain weird-looking. Plus, it’s not that protective or functional.
Luckily, WaterField Designs delivered what Apple didn’t. The San Francisco-based maker of luxury bags for all your tech gear just unveiled its Apple AirPods Max Shield Case — and it’s designed with input from Apple fans to make it actually, you know, smart (not to mention attractive).
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through Apple Park
All the shutters were drawn and the offices dark.
The lunchroom was empty, the desks were all clean
All were working from home due to COVID-19.
Among other things, Apple is known for its clear messaging and high level of quality control. Which is why it was slightly strange when a poster for upcoming Apple TV+ movie Cherry failed totally on both these counts. It featured an all-but-illegible title on its “For Your Consideration” campaign poster for Best Picture.
Don’t worry, though. The flick hasn’t been renamed CHERk, 0HER88 or 8HERK in post-production. Nor is this terrible typeface a marketing stunt. Instead, it seems that trade publication Variety just shared the wrong version of the poster.
Volkswagen Chairman of the Board Herbert Diess says he’s excited to see what Apple’s “virtually unlimited” means and resources will mean for the auto industry.
In a German-language post on LinkedIn, Diess wrote:
The iOS 14 privacy feature that lets users know which apps are tracking them — and how — has started rolling out for beta users on certain apps.
Apple first showed off the new privacy labels at this year’s virtual Worldwide Developers Conference. Apple asked that, starting early this month, developers submit information to Apple concerning the type of data their apps collect on users.
This data is then used to create nutrition label-type categories that let users easily understand how they are being monitored. It means that, the first time users open an app, they will be alerted regarding this information. This can be used to help decide whether to use a certain app or how to decide sharing settings.
Future iPads will be built around Apple’s M-series Mac processors, rather than A-series iPhone chips, according to a recent unconfirmed report. This is a much-needed step in Apple tablets becoming all they can be.
A more powerful processor would allow iPads to easily run macOS software. And that’s just one of the game-changing improvements possible for tablets with M-series chips.
A new report adds weight to rumors that an Apple TV set-top box supercharged for gaming is coming next year.
“Apple is planning an upgraded box with a stronger gaming focus, an updated remote and a new processor,” according to Bloomberg.
Apple removed approximately 94,000 games from the App Store in China during 2020, The Wall Street Journal reports. This is a significantly larger number than last year’s tally of 25,000 games removed.
The escalation comes as China works harder to clamp down on illegal content on mobile platforms. The WSJ says the larger number illustrates Apple’s “vulnerability to state pressure” on its business.
Facebook argues that it is standing up for small businesses by challenging Apple on its pro-privacy measures. However, it appears that not all Facebook employees are buying the company line.
According to internal message board comments and audio obtained by BuzzFeed News, some Facebook employees think their employer is being a tad disingenuous with its public statements about working on behalf of mom-and-pop businesses.
Apple has started shipping out special iPhones to help security researchers discover weaknesses in iOS. Apple announced its new Apple Security Research Device Program in July. However, they have only started rolling out the phones now.
Under the program terms, researchers get these special iPhones for a period of one year. They may extend the loan period. These iPhones are far less locked-down than regular iPhones. That makes it easier to find flaws that could help improve iOS security.
Apple could have bought electric automaker Tesla at a bargain price, according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. But Apple’s chief executive wasn’t interested.
Musk revealed this historic bombshell Tuesday, alongside his comments on a recent report about Apple’s plans for a self-driving vehicle.
Apple could be preparing to dramatically improve the performance of its iPads. The company reportedly will start building its tablets with the same M-series chips that go into the company’s laptops and desktops.
These will be produced by Apple’s chip maker TSMC, which is moving ahead with developing 3nm processors. Its first production units will reportedly be M-series chips for Macs. And these processors will also allegedly be used in future iPad models.
MGM, the movie studio that owns the James Bond franchise, is supposedly up for sale — and The Wall Street Journal says some “big technology companies [are] logical buyers.”
Apple has previously been reported as expressing interest in acquiring the James Bond movies, and has held talks about purchasing MGM.
‘Tis the season to be jolly — or, it seems, to take your mortal enemies, tear their still-beating hearts from their chests, and then freeze said organ in your hand, all while laughing evilly. Or something similarly twisted.
That’s an around-about way of saying that Mortal Kombat for iOS has received an update. If you’re looking for a bit of gory fighting action to distract you from the impending holidays, it’s well worth checking out. Although why you’d have any built-up stress that needs excising after 2020 is beyond me…
Fortnite maker Epic Games continues to take shots at Apple — teaming with Samsung to send a gift bag to online influencers containing a “Free Fortnite” custom jacket with Apple-inspired logo, some suspiciously Apple-looking packaging, and a Galaxy Tab S7.
The note inside reads:
Apple is reportedly prepping an an autonomous vehicle that’s aimed at the consumer market. Leaked information indicates Apple is going to make a car and sell it to the public, not just develop self-driving technology to license to other companies.
Apple Car production supposedly will begin in 2024 using cutting-edge battery technology.
Within just a couple of weeks of its launch, the iPhone 12 had become the world’s bestselling 5G smartphone model, according to figures published by Counterpoint Research.
What was second place for the month of October? The iPhone 12 Pro, of course.
Digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation called Facebook’s anti-Apple attack ads “a laughable [attempt] … to distract [users] from its poor track record of anticompetitive behavior and privacy issues” in an article published Friday.
Facebook lashed out at Apple last week with two full-page newspaper ads. The campaign targeted Apple’s new App Tracking Transparency feature, which fills users in on which apps are tracking them. Facebook claims the change will hurt small businesses by making it tougher for them to use targeted ads.
Apple revealed over the weekend that it is once again shuttering some of its stores as COVID-19 cases continue to climb. All 53 Apple Stores in the company’s home state of California, alongside those in Mexico, Brazil and London will shut their doors temporarily.
Apple has not announced when they will reopen. In the United Kingdom, nonessential stores in Greater London are closed until at least December 30, when guidance will be reviewed.
