News - page 411

COVID-19 forced Jeff Houle to work remotely, which was not a problem since he prefers his personalized WFH desk rather than his drab office desk. Houle is an avid collector, whether it is Disney pins (see the cork board) or old Apple products.

But when it comes to Macs, he does not just collect them. He finds unique ways to reuse them. He held on to his iBook G4 and iMac G4 (which he got at a swap meet for $10) to play old games like the original Sim and Oregon Trail — where he probably found the iBook.

Looking for some great accessories for your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or Mac? The Cult of Mac Store is full of them, and we’re adding new ones all the time that you won’t want to miss.

This week’s top picks include a terrific wireless charging stand from Zens, must-have MacBook protection from Elago, an ultra-cool protective sleeve for your Apple TV remote, and more!

The drawback to virtual reality gaming on an iPhone is it requires players to look at the world through their handset’s screen. Rather than try to escape that limitation, the new VR game HoloVista embraces it.

The player takes on the role of a character who’s also looking at the world through their iPhone. But what they’re seeing is a strange mansion they’ve been asked to photograph.

Windows support is coming to Luna Display. This tiny accessory can already turn an iPad into a Mac’s second screen, and a new version with the ability to do the same for PCs is in development.

Apple seeded a second beta of iOS 14.2 to everyone on Wednesday, along with the iPad equivalent. It brings plenty of fun new emoji like ninja, the transgender symbol and a certain Italian hand gesture. And beta testers get Shazam music recognition integrated into the Control Center.

But anyone hoping to get an iPhone 12 in October might want to skip this beta.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic are worried that false positives from the Apple Watch’s pulse-reading sensor could overburden medical services.

This is the pulse rate sensor available with all models of Apple Watch. It is not to be confused with the newer ECG heart rate feature on newer devices.

Apple has reportedly removed a pair of RSS reader apps, Reeder and Fiery Feeds, from the App Store in China due to their ability to allow users to access information the country would rather they not see.

It’s not clear exactly what prompted this particular banning, but China has been cracking down on RSS feeds since 2007. That year, it initiated a blanket ban on all web-based RSS feed aggregators. In 2017, Apple removed RSS reader app Inoreader from the App Store in China.

In other words, this may be less a case of “What did Reeder and Fiery Feeds do wrong?” than “how did they manage to survive as long as they did?”

Foxconn, Apple’s biggest manufacturing partner, is reportedly developing its own augmented reality (AR) smart glasses. These will be used in retail, smart factories, and smart medical care.

The AR glasses will utilize micro LED displays, one of the next-gen display technologies that Apple plans to use in future products. Apple is also said to be hard at work on its own AR glasses, tentatively dubbed “Apple Glass.”

Candy Crush Friends Saga has surpassed $200 million in lifetime player spending across both the iOS and Google Play app stores, a report from app intelligence first Sensor Tower claims.

In total, the Candy Crush franchise has earned more than $1 billion so far this year.

Tim Cook may well stay at the helm at Apple until at least 2025, according to SEC filings which detail the stock options that will vest in that time. Cook will receive 333,987 units of restricted stock options, vesting in thirds beginning April 1, 2023.

“For the first time in nearly a decade, we are awarding Tim a new stock grant that will vest over time in recognition of his outstanding leadership and with great optimism for Apple’s future as he carries these efforts forward,” Apple’s board of directors told Reuters.

A “minor code tweak” discovered in iOS 14.2 appears to confirm previous reports that Apple will not package EarPods with the iPhone 12.

The rumor was originally suggested by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo back in May. This change in language, hidden in iOS 14.2, seems to lend credence to that idea.

A 12.9-inch iPads Pro is reportedly set to become Apple’s first device with a Mini LED screen. It’ll supposedly be followed by a MacBook with the improved display technology in the second half of the year.

Now that you’ve got your shiny new Apple Watch, you’ll want some great accessories to go with it. A sturdy charging stand, essential protection, and a selection of great bands are all must-haves.

We’ve rounded up 10 awesome accessories for any new Apple Watch owner to help get your collection started. They’re some of our favorite items available right now, and they’re all nicely priced.

Rather than traditional batteries, a future iPhone or Mac might be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. Apple on Monday received a patent for a fuel cell that might be used in future devices. The goal is a device that can go days or weeks without needing to be refueled.

Production is running full-tilt for the iPhone 12, the South China Morning Post reported Tuesday.

According to the publication, production is running 24 hours per day, with no vacations allowed and mandatory overtime. There are also “juicy bonuses” for employees who put in the time.

Russian company Caviar is known for producing blinged-out Apple devices that would make billionaire fat cats and 2000-era rappers say “that’s a bit over-the-top.”

But its latest creations, infinitely more humble and low-fi in appearance, are easily my favorite of its customized devices. Caviar will produce a pair of iPhone 12 models patterned after the original Apple-1 computer, as built in 1976.

The Apple vs. Epic Games antitrust lawsuit could come down to jurors to decide. According to a Monday report from Bloomberg, the federal judge overseeing the case has said that a jury trial could ultimately turn out to be the best way to resolve the case.

While U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of Oakland, California has not yet ordered such a case, she indicated that it might be a scenario where jurors are the ones best equipped to decide an outcome.

Don’t bid farewell to the 64GB storage option for the iPhone just yet! According to Apple leaker Jon Prosser, the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini and 6.1-inch iPhone 12 will come in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB options.

Previously, Prosser suggested the 2020 iPhones would start at 128GB. 64GB has been the lowest standard storage configuration for Apple smartphones since the iPhone 8 and iPhone X in 2017. However, there will be no 64GB iPhone 12 Pro.

App Clips, a signature feature of iOS 14, lets you quickly run a lightweight version of an application without actually installing it. If that capability leaves you scratching your head about what, exactly, App Clips would be good for, a hot new game demo shows the appeal of this powerful feature.

Simply visit the webpage for Phoenix 2 using Safari on a device running iOS 14 or iPadOS 14. Then tap on the big Play button, and start gaming. The process takes less than 10 seconds, and you’re in the game. (Note: It does not work if you are running Safari in Private Browsing mode.)

If you decide you’re not interested, just close the demo and it’s gone. There’s nothing to uninstall because Phoenix 2 was never on your iPhone or iPad. It was just an App Clip.

Apple TV+ just landed another star for its ever-growing galaxy. The service will stream upcoming documentary Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry in February 2021, the same month the film makes its theatrical premiere.

The “highly anticipated documentary” is being produced by Apple Original Films and directed by R.J. Cutler, Apple said in a press release Monday. Cutler made a name for himself with documentaries The War Room and The September Issue as well as TV shows American High and Nashville.

Scribble handwriting recognition in iPadOS 14 is a more complex system than many might realize. Identifying letters and words goes beyond simply examining what someone has written. The iPad uses machine learning to recognize the writer’s intent through how they write, according to Craig Federighi, Apple’s SVP of software engineering.

Roku players will soon support AirPlay 2, Apple’s wireless video streaming technology. This will allow an iPhone, iPad or Mac user to share content directly to a supported Roku device.

In addition, Roku announced a new iOS app, and upcoming support for Apple’s home automation system.

Apple has continued its winning ways when it comes to acquiring A-list movie properties by snapping up worldwide rights to the first movie made by the Russo brothers since Avengers: Endgame, a.k.a. the highest grossing movie of all time.

Called Cherry, the movie stars Tom Holland and Ciara Bravo in what are being touted as incredibly impressive acting performances. The movie is an adaptation of a bestselling 2018 novel by Nico Walker.

Apple and Pixar CEO Steve Jobs had some advice for director Brad Bird when he was making decisions about merchandise on the 2004 movie The Incredibles: “fewer things, better things.”

Bird recalled the advice during a recent online chat with Training Day director Antoine Fuqua (who, incidentally, just had his last movie acquired by Apple). Bird also recalled speaking with Jobs about the Apple Store, around the time the company was busy opening the first ones.

Apple is giving businesses which host paid events online via the App Store reprieve on having to pay Apple a 30 percent cut.

Apple reversed the policy late last week, although it will reportedly only do so for three months as businesses reel to try and come up with new ways to make money during the COVID-19 pandemic.