Mobile menu toggle

News - page 397

This Mac Pro setup is pro to the max

By

Mac Pro Setup
A Mac Pro with the Pro Display XDR always makes for an incredible setup.
Photo: @tldtoday

When the new Mac Pro was released, Jonathan Morrison knew that meant one thing, it was time to change his setup. So he abandoned his MacBook Pro and started from scratch. He now runs a scintillating Mac Pro through a scintillating 32-inch Pro XDR Display. And because he is a Tech Youtuber, he also has the Pro Stand. He says that the Mac Pro is overkill for the stuff that he is doing but he loves how quiet it is.

Apple requires streaming games to be listed individually in App Store [Updated]

By

Apple’s App Store will stay empty of streaming games services for now.
New rules don’t seem intended to bring the Google Stadia cloud gaming service to iPad any time soon.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple laid out new rules for streaming games services hoping to be listed the App Store. But it’s not clear if the changes will result in Microsoft, Google Facebook and others actually introducing iPhone and iPad versions of their services, which are already available for other platforms.

Expect a glitzy show with plenty of new hardware at Apple’s September event

By

The Apple September Event 2020 will surely take advantage of its virtual nature.
Apple software chief Craig Federighi is sure to take the virtual stage at Apple’s Sept. 15 event.
Photo illustration: Cult of Mac/Apple

Apple will hold an online event on September 15. That’s all we know for sure. But leaks, rumors and unconfirmed reports reveal much more, with multiple new devices supposedly on the docket — although maybe not the one you expect.

An event with no real people in attendance, it likely will follow the template of Apple’s virtual Worldwide Developers Conference from June, which drew much praise. Here’s what you can expect from Apple’s September event next Tuesday.

Budget ‘Apple Watch SE’ could be scaled-back Series 4

By

More affordable Apple Watch would be nice.
A low-cost wearable that’s been dubbed ‘Apple Watch SE’ could be on the docket Apple’s Sept. 15 event.
Illustration: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Details of what’s been called the “Apple Watch SE” may have leaked out. An unconfirmed report indicates this model will have the same design as the wearable this company released in 2018, but with some of the high-end features stripped out. That will make it a lower-cost option.

As Tim Cook nears a decade at the helm, Apple focuses on who’ll take over

By

Tim Cook WWDC
Who will be Apple's next CEO?
Photo: Apple

Much of Apple’s senior team, including 59-year-old CEO Tim Cook, are of a similar age. That means they’re probably not going to be in their roles for too many more years.

As Cook approaches a decade at the helm of Apple, a Friday report from Bloomberg claims that he and his team are “increasingly focused” on succession planning. That means cultivating its “next class of top managers” who could take the helm of the world’s most valuable company.

PS3 classic The Unfinished Swan game makes a splash on iOS

By

Unfinished Swan
A storybook set in a monochrome world.
Photo: Giant Sparrow

A great game is worth waiting for! Eight years after it debuted on the PlayStation 3, Giant Sparrow’s critically acclaimed 2012 game, The Unfinished Swan, landed in the iOS App Store (without much in the way of warning) this week.

A first-person puzzle adventure game set in a largely monochromatic, storybook universe, this is a gaming experience you won’t soon forget. Check out the trailer below.

Fortnite-maker says ‘Sign in with Apple’ logins will continue to work

By

Sign in with Apple
Epic Games says login feature won't disappear after all.
Photo: Apple

Fortnite developer Epic Games say Apple issued it an “indefinite extension” for use of the “Sign in with Apple” API.

Epic previously said Apple would stop it offering this feature, meaning that people who signed up using the Apple login service would have been unable to access their Epic Games accounts.

PSA: New episode of comedy series Ted Lasso arrives on Apple TV+

By

Ted Lasso Episode seven
Here's what on Apple TV+ this week (and what's coming soon.)
Photo: Apple TV+

A new episode of Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso landed on the Apple streaming video service today. The preview for the episode, titled “Make Rebecca Great Again,” reads as follows:

“Rebecca celebrates her first anniversary as a divorcee as the team plays a match in Liverpool.”

Microsoft’s folding, dual-screen Surface Duo now available, priced $1,399 [Updated]

By

Surface Neo foldable
Available for pre-order today.
Photo: Microsoft

Update: The Surface Duo is available to buy. Reviews haven’t been wholly positive, although most seem to agree there is plenty of promise for the future.

Microsoft’s folding, dual-screen Surface Duo is finally available for preorder. The Android device, which boasts two 5.6-inch displays, starts at $1,399. Orders will begin shipping on September 10.

‘Apple One’ services bundle might have just been confirmed

By

An Apple One bundle might be announced in September. Or October.
An Apple One bundle might become an option to save money on Apple services.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A rumor that Apple plans to offer discounts on bundles with iCloud, Apple Arcade and other services may have been confirmed Thursday. Mentions of the “Apple One” subscription bundle reportedly turned up in the code for Apple Music for Android.

First Tiny World trailer promises big adventures on Apple TV+

By

Ant-Man is the perfect narrator for Tiny World, an upcoming Apple TV+ nature documentary.
Ant-Man is the perfect narrator.
Image: Apple TV+

Little critters face enormous challenges in the first trailer for Tiny World, a new nature documentary series coming to Apple TV+.

The trailer, released Thursday, shows small creatures on land, at sea and in the air as they struggle to survive in a world filled with threats both large and small. As is the way with all successful trailers, the eye-grabbing footage makes the tiny beings’ encounters look larger than life.

Go on A Monster’s Expedition through open-world puzzles on Apple Arcade

By

‘A Monster’s Expedition’ launched Sept.10 on Apple Arcade
A Monster’s Expedition promises “an adorable and relaxing open world puzzle adventure.”
Image: Draknek Limited

A Monster’s Expedition isn‘t the usual puzzle game. It sets itself apart by being an open world. The goal is to make play more relaxing because if someone gets stuck on a particular puzzle, they can head off in another direction. And, of course, there’s a cute little monster involved.

The game debuted Thursday on Apple Arcade, the Mac-maker’s subscription gaming service.

Lawyer who helped prosecute Microsoft thinks government may struggle against Big Tech

By

iPhone with gavel.
Apple is one of the companies targeted in antitrust investigation.
Photo: Tingey Injury Law Firm/Cult of Mac

The lawyer who helped spearhead the successful U.S. antitrust case against Microsoft thinks today’s government is ill-prepared to take on companies like Apple, Google and Facebook.

According to Gary Reback, the U.S. government does not have enough litigators to prosecute antitrust cases against these tech giants.

PUBG Mobile surpasses $3.5 billion in player spending, most of it on iOS

By

PUBG Mobile
PUBG is having a great year.
Screenshot: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

While Epic, the makers of battle royale game Fortnite, wage war against Apple, rival title PUBG Mobile goes from strength to strength in terms of player spending.

According to app analytics platform Sensor Tower, PUBG has just passed a major milestone: surpassing $3.5 billion in lifetime spending. Of that, $500 million comes in the past 72 days alone while people were stuck home during coronavirus-induced lockdown.

This leafy rig will give you total setup envy [Setups]

By

Mac mini setup
This setup is just so inviting.
Photo: u/ilovenyc

Reddit user @u/ilovenyc’s plant-themed setup is warm and inviting. The favorite part of @u/ilovenyc’s setup is a jaw-dropping, 49-inch Samsung CRG9 Curved Gaming Monitor, which is hooked up to a Mac mini. @u/ilovenyc (who prefers to remain autonomous) says it “never fails to put a smile on my face every time I sit down, whether to work or game.”

Next to the Mac mini, the cybersecurity expert has a PC rig for gaming. It has a AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-Core Desktop Processor with a NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 graphic card. They are encased in a ZXT H210 Mini-ITX PC Gaming Case.

Get a private tour of Apple’s new ‘floating’ Singapore store

By

A
This "secret passage" is the perfect location for a selfie or two.
Screenshot: SuperAdrianMe TV/YouTube

The fantastic photographs of Apple Marina Bay Sands, the new “floating” Apple store in Singapore, just don’t do this magnificent structure justice.

From its massive glass dome to a “secret passage” with a stunning view, a virtual private tour posted by a YouTuber is the closest you’ll get to the real thing — at least for now. You’ve got to watch it! (And if you’re lucky enough to be in Singapore for opening day, be sure to check out the YouTuber’s pro tips for visitors.)

Satechi power bank boasts wireless iPhone and Apple Watch chargers

By

The Satechi Quatro Wireless Power Bank includes four charging methods.
The Quatro Wireless Power Bank can recharge an Apple Watch on the go.
Photo: Satechi

Satechi’s Quatro Wireless Power Bank stands out from the pack by including a built-in Apple Watch charger. It can also wirelessly power an iPhone. In addition, the 10,000 mAh external battery has USB-C and USB-A ports. That gives it a total of four ways to charge — hence the “quatro” name.

Design-obsessed Apple crafts its own face mask [Updated]

By

Apple-shield
This was Apple’s original face shield. It has a new model now.
Photo: Apple

Apple designed its own face mask because of course it did. A company long known for setting itself apart from the competition with superior design couldn’t use over-the-counter masks to protect employees and customers from COVID-19.

Instead, the team that ordinarily designs Macs and iPhones dreamed up their own face covering for Apple employees, including the people that work in Apple retail stores.

Tile trackers offer up to $1,000 for lost items

By

The Tile Premium Protect plan seems like bragging.
If the Tile network can’t find your lost item, you could get reimbursed for it.
Photo: Tile

Clip a tile Bluetooth tracker to your luggage, lose it, and if the Tile network can’t find it, then the company will pay you up to $1,000 in reimbursment. The goal of the new Tile Premium Protect plan is to demonstrate how confident the maker of these trackers is in its network.

But the offer isn’t available to every Tile owner.

Zuckerberg has big ‘questions’ about Apple’s tight control of App Store

By

Facebook owns 4 of the top 10 apps of the past decade
Facebook CEO has issues with App Store.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg thinks Apple’s control of the App Store should be scrutinized. In an interview for Axios on HBO, the Facebook overlord said that Apple has “unilateral control of what gets on phones, in terms of apps.”

Zuck went on to say that this power meant that there are questions that should be asked about whether this is “enabling as robust of a competitive dynamic.”

Mario Kart Tour gets nostalgic in its latest update

By

Mario Kart Tour
Graphics sure have come a long way!
Photo: Nintendo

Way back in the grungy dark days of 1992, when A Few Good Men was playing in theaters and Rage Against the Machine was busy blasting out of the boomboxes of flannel shirt-wearing youths, the original Super Mario Kart landed on SNES.

Jump forward to the present day and Mario Kart Tour, the iOS version of the popular Nintendo kart-racer, is paying nostalgic tribute to its glorious past with a new tour and characters. Check out the details below.

TikTok continues to rule the App Store despite tough times

By

U.S. investigations of TikTok gather steam.
TikTok enjoyed a great month in August. From a downloads perspective, at least.
Photo: Kon Karampelas/Unsplash CC

Despite the challenges it continues to face, TikTok was the most downloaded non-gaming app worldwide on iOS and Google Play in August, a new report by app analytics platform Sensor Tower claims.

In total, TikTok was downloaded upward of 63.3 million times during the month. That is a slight increase of 1.6% from the same month last year. Indonesia and Brazil were the most popular growing markets for the app during the month.

Apple Silicon chips will enter production later this year

By

Apple Silicon
Coming soon to a Mac near you.
Photo: Apple

Mass production on the 5-nanometer chips that will be used in the next-gen iPad Pro and the inaugural Apple Silicon Mac will supposedly kick off in the fourth quarter of 2020, Digitimes reported Wednesday.

According to the report, TSMC will be turning out around 5,000-6,000 Apple Silicon wafers per month. This is rumored to be the A14X chip, which is a more powerful version of the A14 expected with this year’s iPhone 12.