News - page 391

Facebook isn’t happy about what it sees as Apple overstepping its bounds. As reported by Reuters, Facebook says that it hopes new draft EU rules could put Apple in its place when it comes to the power exhibited by the Cupertino tech giant.

“We hope the [Digital Markets Act] will…set boundaries for Apple,” a Facebook spokesperson said. “Apple controls an entire ecosystem from device to App Store and apps, and uses this power to harm developers and consumers, as well as large platforms like Facebook.”

The world may have struggled in 2020, but life’s been good on the App Store — and especially if you’re the makers of PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, Pokémon GO, Coin Master, and Roblox.

Those five mobile games all broke $1 billion in takings in 2020, across both iOS and Android. The first two, both made by Tencent, managed to break through the $2 billion barrier, claims a report from app analytics platform Sensor Tower.

Apple smart speakers got a fresh software update on Tuesday. It brings the full-size and pint-size devices up to HomePod Software Version 14.3.

The psychological thriller Servant will be back for a third season. Apple TV+ went ahead and greenlit the next season event though it’s still a month before Season 2 premiers.

The show tells the story of young couple trying to figure out if their lost child has returned from the dead. Of if they’re going mad. Or something worse is happening. It’s what you’d expect from a series with M. Night Shyamalan involved.

Holiday shopping for an Apple Watch fan couldn’t be easier. There are so many awesome bands and accessories out there, you’re bound to find something they’ll love. But we’re here if you need a helping hand.

We’ve rounded up some of the best Apple Watch gifts that are a steal at under $40. There are bands, charging stands, cases, and more to choose from. All from brilliant brands like Mifa, Elago, and Rilee & Lo.

Travel photographer Austin Mann has been shooting images with a iPhone 12 Pro Max in ProRAW format, and he calls it, “a monumental leap forward in digital imaging on iPhone.”

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

OK, so a quote most readily associated (falsely) with freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi isn’t a perfect fit to describe Apple’s decision to ditch the charger with the iPhone 12. But it certainly seems weirdly appropriate here.

The iPhone 12 is seemingly shaping up to be a massive winner for Apple, with a Tuesday report claiming that Apple is set to produce between 20% and 30% more handsets than it did last year.

The report says that Apple has plans to produce up to 230 million iPhones in 2021. While that also includes older handsets like the iPhone 11 and SE, it is primarily driven by “demand for [Apple’s] first-ever 5G” phones, according to Nikkei.

There are all sorts of reasons Apple doesn’t recommend that you drop your iPhone out of airplanes. But, if it does accidentally happen, you may not be totally out of luck.

A report from Brazilian news outlet G1 concerns filmmaker Ernesto Galiotto, who accidentally dropped his iPhone 6 out of a plane at a height of 984 feet. An accompanying video shows that Galiotto was trying to use the device to film over a beach 100 miles east of Rio de Janeiro, when it was whipped out of his hand and sent hurtling toward certain death.

Well, almost certain, that is!

Apple’s fancy AirPods Max headphones officially go on sale today, meaning that if you were lucky (or just organized) enough to have ordered them online right away, they should be winging their way to your home as you read this.

They are also available to buy in Apple Stores, although don’t expect plentiful supplies.

The Apple TV app tries to do too much. It tries to be too much. And this lack of focus damages the Apple TV+ streaming service. Still, a design change in iOS 14.3 and the iPad equivalent makes it just a little bit easier for subscribers to find Apple TV+ shows and movies.

The small tweak doesn’t go far enough, though. It’s only a tiny step in the right direction. What’s truly needed is a dedicated Apple TV+ app.

It’s a big day for Apple fans — there are software updates for iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV.

With an update, iPhone 12 Pro gets support for Apple’s new ProRAW image format. And all iPhone and iPads display new privacy info about third-party apps.

But primarily, the new versions are about adding support for AirPods Max and Apple Fitness+ to a range of operating systems. And bug fixes too.

With Apple Fitness+ set to launch Monday, a handful of early reviews say the subscription service is a winner that makes fitness fun.

If you’ve got an Apple Watch and access to gym equipment in your home, it’s practically a no-brainer at $9.99 a month. Could this be a Peloton beater?

Apple Music teamed up with the iconic British artist David Hockney to create a portrait of Beethoven for the artist’s 250th birthday.

Hockney, whose painting “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)” is the most expensive work of art by a living artist to ever sell at auction, created the Beethoven image using his trusty iPad.

Riots broke out over the weekend at a Wistron factory in southern India that produces iPhones, resulting in around 100 people being arrested. Thousands of iPhones were stolen during the incident.

The riots were reportedly related to allegations about unpaid wages and other exploitation. Workers were allegedly not paid for several months, and made to do mandatory overtime. Protestors broke windows at the factory on the outskirts of Bangalore, pulled down CCTV cameras, and flipped cars onto their sides.

Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly stepped in to squash an Apple TV+ series that would have chronicled the rise of controversial blogging network Gawker Media.

Earlier this year, Vanity Fair reported that Apple TV+ execs were working with former Gawker writers Max Read and Cord Jefferson, among others, on the series. Not much in the way of details were published. However, it sounds like it could have been a scripted show about the “glory days” of a blog known for “skewering the powerful.”

One of the potential problems? Apple and Cook could have been among the powerful in question.

Since leaving Apple in the middle of last year, Sir Jony Ive has launched a new design agency, LoveFrom, and taken on clients including Airbnb. Now he could be headed for the figurative driver’s seat at Ferrari — as the Italian luxury carmaker’s next CEO. Possibly.

According to a report from Reuters, Ive — by far the best-known designer in Apple history — is in the running to take over as Ferrari’s next CEO. Given Ive’s love of high-end cars, that has to be a job he would be tempted by!

Apple’s new over-the-ear headphones are kind of over the top. From the high-end design to the sky-high price tag, AirPods Max certainly made quite a splash this week.

They sold out almost immediately after Tuesday’s unveiling. And that weird AirPods Max case got mercilessly mocked online, as people compared it to a bra and a sleep mask, among other things.

It’s not all AirPods Max this week, though: Apple TV+ started streaming Wolfwalkers, which our reviewer called the “best animated film of the year.” Plus, Apple’s mysterious self-driving car project raced back into the rumor fast lane.

Read up in this week’s free edition of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it now for your iOS device. Or use the links below to get to the stories on the web.

With Facebook facing a federal antitrust lawsuit, and a new administration headed for the White House, should Apple be worried about a  crackdown on big tech?

While the specifics might be far different for the two companies, D.C.’s apparent thirst for regulation should get Tim Cook sweating.

Disney has announced that its Disney+ streaming service will increase in price by a single, solitary dollar per month. That takes the monthly cost of the streaming service to $7.99 per month — or $79.99 per year if you buy an annual subscription.

Meanwhile, the price of the Disney Bundle, which also ties in Hulu and ESPN Plus, will add the same $1 to its price tag, bringing it to $13.99 per month. These price changes will kick into effect come March 26, 2021.

Woot is offering cracking discounts on a whole bunch of new, open-box iPad and MacBook models today only. You can save up to 35% on 2019 and 2020 devices, including the newest iPad Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Stock is selling fast so enjoy this sale while you can!

Head off with a little girl as she wanders a Mediterranean island rescuing animals in Alba: A Wildlife Adventure. She’s supposed to be on vacation, but she’s ready to start an environmental movement instead!

The game, which hit Apple Arcade on Friday, is from Ustwo Games, the creator of the classic Monument Valley.

It’s way too early to have a sense of how many units Apple will sell of its newly announced AirPods Max headphones. But according to a rumor from Digitimes, two of the manufacturers involved with production are “not expecting much” from the “niche” product.

The report cites sources from Compaq Manufacturing and Unitech, two companies reportedly making printed circuit boards for the new headphones. Unsurprisingly, both firms declined to give official responses with their verdicts.

Remember how cool it was the first time you used Apple’s Cover Flow feature to flip through artwork for albums you bought on iTunes? More than a decade after Apple introduced that feature, Apple Music is rolling out a cool update: animated album covers.

Apple added the feature in the beta versions of iOS 14.3 and macOS 11.1. As you might expect, the animated covers are not available across the board on day one. So far, they’re just starting to appear for certain artists — with beta users starting to find them and share them online.

Apple has started building its own cellular modems for use in future devices. Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, made the announcement to employees Thursday during a virtual town hall meeting.

The company currently relies on Qualcomm modems, after restoring its relationship with the company following a prolonged clash over patents and royalties. However, Apple has made no bones about its desire to bring this part of its manufacturing in-house. It even bought Intel’s modem business for $1 billion in 2019, the second-largest acquisition in Apple history.