News - page 428

AirPods got some impressive-sounding (no pun intended) features announced at WWDC, including an upcoming “Spatial Audio” feature that will provide better 3D sound for its AirPods Pro wireless earpods.

The feature will use motion tracking to replicate a surround sound, movie theater-style listening experience, making it sound like the audio you’re listening to is coming from around the wearer. It will work by using the device’s in-built accelerometer to track the motion of users’ heads. It will then remap the sound field constantly as your head moves around.

Apple’s car-focused tech got a nifty update at WWDC, letting users start their cars with their iPhone. Announced Monday, Apple’s new CarKey digital car keys feature will allow you to unlock and start select vehicles using NFC technology.

Emily Schubert, Apple’s Engineering Manager for Car Experience showed off the feature, which promises to revolutionize the way you start your vehicle for the 21st century.

Apple just gave the world its very first glimpse at iOS 14 for iPhone. Available this fall, the massive update brings a plethora of new features, including long-awaited Home screen widgets, picture-in-picture support, a new App Library, and more.

Apple will introduce its third-generation AirPods buds featuring the same design as AirPods Pro during the first half of 2021, according to one reliable analyst.

The new wireless headphones could help drive a 28% increase in AirPods shipments next year. Apple’s rumored decision not to include free EarPods with iPhone 12 this fall could also contribute to the boost.

iOS 14 won’t be called iPhone OS and the new macOS will be called “Big Sur,” according to Apple tipster L0vetodream.

In a series of tweets early Monday, the Apple leaker shared a number of “predictions” that may spill details of the virtual-only Worldwide Developers Conference keynote Apple will Monday.

Apple is set to begin a deep clean of the App Store in China, removing “thousands” of games that don’t have the proper government approvals, a report by Bloomberg claims.

Developers and publishers have reportedly been told that they will need to secure licenses to continue selling their games starting next month. While regulators have been promising such a crackdown since 2016, they have been slow to push through rules. As a result, unlicensed games were still being published in the interim.

Tim Cook talked taxes, WWDC secrets, and how the iPhone can play a small, but important role in changing the world for the better in an interview aired over the weekend on CBS Sunday Morning.

“I’m full of secrets and it’s hard not to overflow right now,” Cook said. “But I’ve been trained well.” On other topics, however, he was a lot more open.

Microsoft’s president Brad Smith has seemingly joined the number of voices criticizing Apple for taking a 30% cut of app revenue.

The Microsoft executive said that the policy is far more anti-competitive than the complaints that led to the Microsoft antitrust case of the early 2000s. The antitrust case against Microsoft helped reshape the tech landscape 20 years ago.

The first Macs running ARM-based processors designed by Apple could be out as early as the fourth quarter of 2020, according to trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. This will supposedly bring significant performance gains.

We’ll possibly know for sure tomorrow, as Apple will supposedly reveal its plans to move macOS to its A-series processors at WWDC 2020.

Rumors point to Apple using Monday’s keynote for its annual developers conference to unveil a new iMac, a new HomePod and the debut of AirTags. But on Sunday, a reliable leaker said that these WWDC 2020 plans have been “scrapped.”

That said, the company supposedly still plans to unveil a long-term plan to switch Macs from Intel processors to ones Apple designs itself.

Update June 22: Confirmed. The keynote for this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference was all about software, and there was no new hardware.

The Cult of Mac Store’s brilliant Father’s Day sale is almost over, but there’s still time to enjoy 20% off all accessories from Monowear and Nyloon. There’s a huge collection of brilliant Apple Watch bands to choose from, with prices starting at just $24.99. Order yours before the discounts disappear!

Are you as psyched for WWDC 2020 as we are? The cover story of this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine tells you what to expect from next week’s big keynote. (Spoiler alert: Sounds like some new hardware in addition to the mandatory look at upcoming software.)

Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll find the latest Apple news and leaks, plus how-tos for your Apple devices. Finally, don’t miss our reviews and recommendations — including a look at new documentary Dads, the latest disappointment from Apple TV+.

Grab your copy of the free iOS mag today (or hit the links below for the stories.)

Even as Apple is expected to unveil iOS 14 on Monday, the company revealed that 92% of all iPhones introduced in the last four years run iOS 13. That’s a higher adoption percentage than for iOS 12 this time last year.

And it’s vastly ahead of the percentage of Android users who’ve been able to upgrade to the latest version of Google’s operating system.

When tech YouTuber Danny Winget mapped out his dream setup, he was looking to achieve one thing: stark minimalism. He certainly found it. On his desk he has a screen, a keyboard and mouse, and not much else. What makes his desk notable though, is that everything is Pro and everything is smart — even his coffee cup.

Apple rolled out a redesign of its developer forums Friday intended to make them easier to navigate, and help coders find answers they need.

This comes just days before the opening of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday.

Imagine riding the subway when you realize you’re not quite sure of the changes you need to make on your journey. No problem! Simply whip out your smartphone, aim it at your travel pass, and watch a virtual map pop up in front of you.

Science fiction? Nope. It’s a proof-of-concept AR demo created by computer science student Gerald Nash. It gives a taste of the future, courtesy of a Snapchat filter, that will turn your Washington DC SmarTrip card into a trigger for a floating AR map of the area. Check out the video below.

Apple execs won’t get to feed off the usual live audience’s energy during next Monday’s WWDC 2020 keynote, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to get excited about.

As usual, Apple will stream the big event for all the world to see. But, due to health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire Worldwide Developers Conference will take place online this year. Read on for our rundown of what we expect to see during the WWDC 2020 keynote, which kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific on June 22.

The iPhone 12 will take a giant step closer to reality when TSMC begins producing the Apple A14 processor later this month, according to an unconfirmed report coming out of Asia on Friday. This reportedly will be the first A-series chip made with a 5-nanometer process, which should bring an increase in performance while improving battery life.

The A14 will supposedly use Qualcomm’s X60 modem, potentially giving it access to every type of 5G network.

To mark Juneteenth, a holiday to celebrate the official end of slavery in the U.S., Apple has made its original Apple TV+ movie The Banker available to watch for free.

The movie, which is based on a true story, stars Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson as Bernard Garrett and Joe Morris, two of the first black bankers in the United States. At a time when discriminatory Jim Crow-era laws were in effect in the U.S., the pair hired a white man (played by Nicholas Hoult) to portray the face of their business, while the pair posed as a chauffeur and janitor.

This week on The CultCast: We discuss our WWDC 2020 hardware and software predictions, and there’s a lot to say. Plus: A new leak details a next-generation iPhone with dual displays; the new 5600M MacBook Pro GPU is an absolute monster; and Apple’s back-to-school promo is back for the summer, but with an interesting twist.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently seized a shipment of counterfeit AirPods coming from China, carrying a retail price (at least, if they were authentic) of $3,975.

Officers discovered the shipment of AirPod knockoffs June 1. The packaging said the parcel contained lithium ion batteries. However, officers inspecting the package reportedly grew suspicious because of giveaways with the packaging and marking used on the shipment.

Apple’s VR and AR headset ambitions fueled a clash between Apple Technology Development Group executive Mike Rockwell and former design boss Jony Ive, who left Apple last year, a new Bloomberg report claims.

The article traces the development of an Apple VR and AR headset to late 2015. It claims Apple dedicated up to 1,000 engineers to work on a project aiming to be the first major new product since the Apple Watch. However, the project has been subject to disagreements about its direction.

Apple’s latest round of Apple Pay promotions offers a variety of summer-themed discounts in assorted apps and online retail stores. Apple and partners are offering up to 20% off at a variety of retailers, selling everything from sportswear to sunglasses. Oh, there’s a $1 whopper at Burger King, too.

Check out the full list of Apple Pay summer offers below.

Days before WWDC kicks off, Apple had shuttered its Apple Events app on tvOS, instead folding it into the Apple TV app, streamlining the process of finding and watching Monday’s keynote event.

The wording on the app confirms that, “Apple Events is now part of the Apple TV app.” Using the app, you can watch both current and past Apple special events.

iPad setups are often seen as limiting and hard to work with. They require a lot of accessories and peripherals. They do have some advantages though, besides a lower price point. They are more versatile and travel-friendly. And as iPads are getting bigger and more powerful, iPad-based setups are becoming less bohemian.

Photographer Ryszard Sikorski has one of the cleanest setups I have seen. He actually finds an iPad setup quite liberating. “What I like is that I can use [the iPad] how I need it,” he said. “It’s not static.”