Mobile menu toggle

News - page 436

YouTube Kids is now available for Apple TV

By •

YouTube Kids app restrictions
YouTube Kids is no longer limited to tablets and smartphones.
Photo: YouTube

The YouTube Kids app, a special child-friendly version of the YouTube app with additional parental controls, has landed on Apple TV.

The app was launched on iOS and Android in early 2015. However, while users could previously use AirPlay to stream content from their iPhone or iPad to Apple TV, this is the first time YouTube has created a native Apple TV app for the service.

HBO Max hits the App Store with 10,000 hours of content

By •

hbo.max.logo
HBO Max has one of the deepest content archives of any streaming service yet.
Photo: WarnerMedia

HBO Max, the streaming platform that bundles together new and existing HBO content with a massive WarnerMedia library of TV shows and movies, has officially launched in the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.

The service launches with some 10,000 hours of programming, making this a serious contender to the likes of Netflix and Disney+ from day one. It costs $15 per month (covered by your existing subscription if you’re already an HBO subscribers), although a special offer makes it just $12 a month for the initial year.

Samsung will play a crucial role in creating the iPhone 12

By •

This iPhone 12 concept borrows from Samsung.
Samsung could profit big from the iPhone 12, too.
Image: ConceptsiPhone

Samsung will once again play a big role in making the next-gen iPhone as it has secured the majority of orders for the OLED displays for the iPhone 12, claims a report published Wednesday.

The iPhone 12 series of phones is expected to be Apple’s biggest upgrade in several years — featuring a new chassis design, OLED screens in every model, and Apple’s first 5G compatibility. And Samsung, Apple’s long-time frenemy, will seemingly get a big, lucrative piece of the pie.

Apple TV+ is becoming home to all things Fraggle Rock

By •

Fraggle Rock
Apple will air original show, alongside producing new episodes.
Photo: HBO/Jim Henson Company

Apple TV+ will be seriously upping its quotient of Fraggle Rock content, the Jim Henson kids’ puppet show which debuted in the 1980s.

Apple has acquired the streaming rights to all 96 episodes of the original show, which ran on HBO from 1983 through 1987, alongside specials. These will debut on Wednesday, May 27, and will be the first time that Apple TV+ has aired rerun content previously shown elsewhere.

Apple Schoolwork 2.0 update makes assignments easier for teachers and students

By •

Apple Schoolwork 2.0 helps track Handout due dates.
Notifications that Handouts are due soon are part of Apple Schoolwork 2.0.
Photo: Apple

A major update debuted Monday for Apple’s free Schoolwork app, which helps students and teachers collaborate on school assignments. Version 2.0 not only got an new tab-based design, there are numerous enhancements to make the Handouts feature more useful.

Apple also updated its companion Classroom app, though only modestly.

A Mac lover’s ideal setup [Setups]

By •

A Mac lovers ideal setup
This setup is pure eye candy.
Photo: Zach Hicks

Busy medical student Zach Hicks spent years developing this mouth-watering, Mac mini-powered setup. His main screen is actually a 43-inch smart TV, which gives him a bunch of screen real estate so he can open up a lot of PowerPoint presentations at once.

To accompany these big screens, he uses an Apple Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse. A HomePod pumps out the audio, while two Philips Hue Bloom lamps illuminate everything. And, if you are wondering about the Apple boxes above his desk, they serve as a visual reminder of his journey to build this dream setup.

macOS Catalina 10.15.5 arrives to save your MacBook battery

By •

2020 macbook air
A new Battery Health Management feature should extend the time before you think about replacing your MacBook Air.
Photo: iFixit

Beta testing is over, and Apple released macOS Catalina 10.15.5 to the general public today. It includes a new Battery Health Management feature intended to reduce wear and extend the useful life of MacBook batteries.

100 more US Apple Stores will open soon … sort of

By •

Apple plans to start the slow process of reopening its U.S. retail stores next week.
Apple plans to start the slow process of reopening its U.S. retail stores.
Photo: Open Grid Scheduler/Flickr CC

Apple said Tuesday it intends to open its retail locations in 21 U.S. states. But some stores will reportedly only offer curbside service, with customers not allowed to go in. The dates these Apple Stores would reopen were not announced.

Virtually all of Apple’s storefronts have been closed since March to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Apple Pro Display XDR picks up highest honor in Display Industry Awards

By •

Pro-Display-XDR
Apple Pro Display XDR was lauded for advancing the state of the art in display technology.
Photo: Apple

The Society for Information Display on Tuesday named Apple’s Pro Display XDR one of its 2020 Displays of the Year, among the industry’s highest honors.

This top-tier display debuted in December alongside the latest Mac Pro. It sports a 32-inch Retina 6K screen, with 10-bit color and a super-wide viewing angle.

Apple could save Messages on Mac with new iPad app port

By •

Messages-iPad
Messages is so much better on iPad.
Photo: Apple

Apple looks to be gearing up to port iPad’s built-in Messages app over to Mac. The move could immediately fix Messages’ biggest problems on Mac, including its glaring lack of features.

The desktop version of the app still does not support iMessage apps, Apple Pay, message effects and other key features. Evidence of the move has been uncovered in leaked iOS 14 code, indicating it could be executed this fall when Apple drops its next major macOS update.

Gates Foundation buys more than half a million Apple shares

By •

Bill Gates
Picture this guy investing in Apple. Stranger things have happened!
Photo: Fulvio Obregon

The Gates Foundation, the charitable organization belonging to Bill and Melinda Gates, snapped up more than half a million Apple shares during the first three months of 2020, a new report claims.

According to an SEC filing, reported by Smarter Analyst, the largest private foundation in the world purchased some 501,044 Apple shares in the first quarter of 2020. At present, AAPL is trading at $320.40, having made back the value it lost during the coronavirus pandemic.

Future AirPods could count steps, track heart rate and monitor health conditions

By •

AirPods Pro settings
Future AirPods won't just play music.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Future AirPods could boast ambient light sensors that track users’ heart rate, head movements and steps taken, Digitimes claimed Monday.

The report says the new health-tracking tech might find its way into Apple’s AirPods in the “coming 1-2” years. The feature reportedly will enable the ultra-popular wireless earbuds to track various activities and potentially monitor certain health conditions.

Huawei overtakes Apple in first quarter to become China’s No. 1 tablet maker

By •

Huawei MatePad Pro is like an iPad Pro, but cheaper
Unlike most, Huawei had a great first three months of the year.
Photo: Huawei

The iPad no longer rules the tablet roost in China, the country Tim Cook previously claimed is Apple’s future biggest market. According to a Tuesday report from the South China Morning Post, Huawei has overtaken Apple to be the No. 1 tablet maker in China for the first quarter of 2020.

China’s tablet shipments fell a massive 30% in the first three months of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, while most manufacturers (including Apple) shipped fewer units for the quarter, Huawei actually grew 4.3% year on year. In doing so, it claimed 40.2% of the market, next to Apple’s 31.5%.

Former Windows division boss goes all-in on iPad Pro with his new ‘desktop PC’ setup

By •

iPad-Pro-Magic-Trackpad-3
The iPad is more of a real computer every day.
Photo: Apple

Is the iPad Pro good enough to double as a serious desktop computer? If you ask Steven Sinofsky, former president of the Windows division at Microsoft, the answer is a resounding “yes.”

In a recent tweet, Sinofsky shared a photo of the setup for his “new desktop PC.” And, for a guy who made his name working for one of Apple’s long-time biggest competitors, it’s pretty darn Apple-centric.

No USB-C: Lightning connector will stay until iPhone goes all-in on wireless

By •

iPhone-Lightning
Lightning isn't going anywhere.
Photo: Tinhte

Apple ditched Lightning for USC-B on the iPad Pro in 2018, but you shouldn’t expect a similar move for this year’s iPhone 12 refresh, according to an Apple leaker.

A Monday tweet by Fudge, aka @choco_bit, suggests that the iPhone 12 will come with a Lightning port. The reliable tipster says Apple will continue to use the proprietary Lightning until the iPhone goes all-in on wireless charging.

Japan will start reopening its shuttered Apple Stores this week

By •

Apple new store in Japan
Apple's most recent store opened in Tokyo in September.
Photo: Apple

Apple will start reopening Apple Stores in Japan this week, following on from reopening in Australia, Germany, Austria, South Korea, Switzerland, and select stores in the United States and Italy.

Like all other non-China markets, Apple’s Japan retail stores have been closed since the middle of March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Demystifying Apple’s COVID-19 efforts [Cult of Mac Magazine 350]

By •

Here's how Apple's COVID-19 contact-tracing system works.
Here's how Apple's COVID-19 contact-tracing system works.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

When Apple released iOS 13.5 this week, it paved the way for privacy-focused contact-tracing apps to fight COVID-19. However, these apps don’t yet exist. And, despite some panicked reports online, your iPhone isn’t going to start snooping on you as soon as you upgrade your operating system.

We set out to clear up some misconceptions about how this whole contact-tracing thing is going to work. You can read all about it in this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine.

Elsewhere in the free iOS mag, you’ll get the scoop on our podcast interview with Jon Prosser, the Apple leaker who’s making headlines. Plus, the usual Apple news, reviews and how-tos. Download it now and get to reading, or get the stories in the links below.

Apple’s bouncy AirPods ad wins major award

By •

Bounce ad for AirPods1
Apple’s “Bounce“ AirPods advertisement took home numerous accolades at the 99th ADC annual awards.
Photo: Apple

A slick, black-and-white ad showcasing AirPods won Best in Show at the prestigious ADC Annual Awards.

Titled “Bounce,” the ad shows an AirPods wearer springing through the streets, evoking the unencumbered, wireless freedom of these earbuds.

iOS 14 leaks come from early build obtained by hackers

By •

iOS 14 on an iPhone 11
Hackers reportedly got an iPhone 11 running iOS 14 months ago.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Details on iOS 14 started leaking out in February, with sources claiming to have a leaked copy of the next iPhone operating system. An investigation by Vice apparently confirms that researchers and hackers really got access to an iOS version more than half a year before its release.

Even activating a suspect’s phone lock screen could be illegal, judge rules

By •

iPhone X lock screen notifications
You need the right warrant to do this.
Photo: Apple

Judge John Coughenour of the U.S. District Court in Seattle has ruled that FBI is not allowed to even look at the lock screen on a suspect’s smartphone without a warrant, Ars Technica reports.

The case involves a man from Washington state arrested in May last year, indicted on charges of robbery and assault. During the investigation, the FBI took a photo of the suspect’s phone lock screen, which had information they considered to be of interest. However, this behavior has been classed as unlawful.

Apple’s hated butterfly keyboard could make a comeback

By •

Taking it out on your problematic MacBook butterfly keyboard will only make things worse.
The question is: does anyone want it to?
Photo illustration: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Despite it vanishing from Apple’s MacBook line, Apple hasn’t given up on its controversial (read: hated) butterfly keyboard design, claims Apple leaker L0vetodream.

In a Friday tweet, L0vetodream said that Apple is “trying to improve on the structure, and solve the [issues]” faced by users. Should it manage to do so, “we might see it comes back again in future.”

Apple TV+ kids’ shows rack up 17 nominations for Daytime Emmy awards

By •

FireWire lands Apple its first Emmy.
Apple will surely be happy with this slew of nominations.
Image: The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences/Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple TV+ has racked up 17 nominations for the 2020 Daytime Emmy awards. That’s more than established names including Hulu, HBO, and fellow tech newcomers like YouTube Originals and FaceBook Watch.

Kids’ series Ghostwriter got eight nominations. Preschool show Helpsters picked up five. Snoopy in Space and Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10 also received their share of awards.

Ireland’s data protection boss questions Apple over Siri privacy

By •

Siri Lights
How private are your conversations with Siri?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission is questioning Apple over privacy concerns raised by an ex-contractor who transcribed users’ Siri requests in an effort to improve the voice assistant’s functionality.

Former Apple contractor Thomas le Bonniec this week said Apple should be “urgently investigated” over Siri data collection. It seems that the EU’s data protection authorities are listening.

PSA: Brand new episode of Defending Jacob and Mythic Quest debuts on Apple TV+

By •

Defending Jacob
Defending Jacob is starting to wrap up.
Photo: Apple

Friday means new content on Apple TV+ — and this week that takes the form of the penultimate episode of Defending Jacob and a new quarantine episode of comedy Mythic Quest.

The preview for the Defending Jacob episode reads: “As the trial begins, Jacob’s fate hangs in the balance.” Meanwhile, the special quarantine edition episode of Raven’s Quest is described like this: “As the MQ staff works from home, Poppy struggles with solitude, while Brad and David start a charitable competition.”