An Apple patent filing shows a MacBook with Face ID. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Evidence emerged today that Apple‘s facial-recognition system will be built into future Macs. Face ID is already a highlight of iPhone and iPad, and there’s solid proof the company is looking into adding it to MacBook and iMac as well.
Everything you need to know about WWDC 2020 will be found in this app. Photo: Apple
Apple is gearing up for its first-ever digital-only Worldwide Developers Conference in June with a fresh update to the Apple Developer app.
Formerly called the WWDC app, the Apple Developer app is the one-stop-shop for all the in-depth information developers need on iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS and all the other Apple platforms. Today’s big update adds some key new features that will make it easier and faster for developers to digest all the new info that comes out of WWDC 2020.
The anti-reflective coating on previous MacBook models have had problems. Photo: Apple Support
Apple reportedly informed its authorized service representatives that the anti-reflective coating on the Retina displays on MacBook Air models can experience “issues.” Earlier Mac laptops have had problems with this coating wearing off.
This app allows you to help others, but does not give health advice. Photo: Zoe
U.K. health researchers launched a COVID-19 symptom-tracking app to help monitor the spread of the coronavirus this week — and it already rocketed to the top of the App Store charts.
COVID Symptom Tracker has reportedly been downloaded 750,000 times since it launched Thursday, making it the No. 3 most popular app overall in the United Kingdom and the top medical app. The app could prove to be a vital tool for health care workers in the fight against the coronavirus, and it’s coming to the United States soon.
Pro Camera puts the iPhone's built-in camera app to shame. Photo: Moment
Shooting DSLR-quality time-lapses on your iPhone just got a lot easier thanks to a huge update to the fantastic Pro Camera app made by smartphone lens attachment company Moment.
Pro Camera 4.0’s bevy of new features gives you more detailed control for shooting video time-lapses than pretty much any other camera app we’ve seen. All you need is a tripod for your iPhone (or something to prop it up on) while the app does the heavy lifting. Photogs can now pick the intervals, number of shots, type of blur and length, unlocking a ton of creative possibilities.
No, this likely isn't the final version that will ship. Photo: MacRumors
Apple is testing out its rumored AR/VR headset internally using a generic controller similar in design to that of the HTC Vive, a report published Thursday by MacRumors suggests.
The report notes that, “given the basic design of the controller,” it is likely for internal testing only. A finished version is likely to be a lot more, well, Apple in its design. However, it’s enough to let Apple engineers get to grips with the technology which might allow it to launch its rumored AR/VR headset in 2021 or 2022.
You can't miss it. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Apple on Thursday placed the U.K. government’s public service announcement on COVID-19 at the very top of the App Store.
Customers who visit will be greeted first and foremost by chief medical officer Chris Whitty’s guidance on reducing the spread of the coronavirus. They will also see a handy link to the NHS app for iOS.
Last year, iPhone users in the U.S. spent an average of $100 on in-app purchases and premium apps for the first time, according to data published Wednesday by app analytics firm Sensor Tower.
This figure was up $21 on the $79 average spent in 2018. It does not cover payments made using retail apps like Amazon, ride-sharing apps such as Uber, or any other payments that aren’t processed via Apple and the App Store.
“We have a different view,” wrote Gene Munster of Loup Ventures on Thursday. Muster has outlined several reasons why an iPhone refresh is still likely to come in 2020.
Apple is making its learning specialists available to educators for free one-on-one virtual coaching sessions. Photo: Ian Fuchs
To support teachers as they embrace online e-learning during the current school closures, Apple is making its learning specialists available to educators for free one-on-one virtual coaching sessions.
Apple has made its 100+ educators on staff available to help teachers — from K-12 through higher education — manage workflows and online student learning.
Tracking location data could make it easier to track spread of coronavirus. Photo: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Europe is usually one of the most proactive markets when it comes to user privacy. But there’s nothing usual about the current coronavirus crisis.
Because of that, eight big telecoms providers in Europe have reportedly agreed to share mobile phone location data with officials to track the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
T-Mobile retail stores aren’t the only places that take Apple Pay now. Photo: T-Mobile
T-Mobile customers who are also iPhone users can now reportedly pay their monthly bill with Apple Pay. This option showed up on the carrier’s website today.
This stylish little box packs big sound. Photo: Zound Industries
One of the most iconic brands in rock ‘n’ roll amplification is ready to give Apple’s HomePod some fresh competition.
Zound Industries unveiled its newest portable speaker today, the Marshall Uxbridge Voice. It comes with Bluetooth and Spotify Connect, plus you can control it with your voice using Alexa. Best of all, though, this thing is really freaking loud.
This is what the 2020 iPhone will probably look like. Photo: svetapple.sk
iPhone fans dying for a 5G upgrade might be kept waiting a little bit longer thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
Apple is reportedly having internal discussions debating whether to delay the launch of the 5G iPhone by months. The iPhone 12 was expected to be released this fall, but Asian news site Nikkei says supply chain problems might force the company to push the date back. And there’s something else worrying Apple execs, too.
Apple CEO Tim Cook confirms 10 million N95 mask donations to medical workers in America. Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac
Apple CEO Tim Cook said Wednesday the company has “sourced [and] procured” 10 million N95 ventilator masks for the U.S. and “millions more” for the hardest-hit regions in Europe, that would be distributed to the medical community fighting the coronavirus pandemic. He also urged his followers to “stay at home whenever possible” to help curb the spread of the disease.
Cook’s comments came in a Twitter video posted Wednesday morning.
The guts of the 2020 MacBook Air on full display. Photo: iFixit
The 2020 MacBook Air has been put under the knife by the folks at iFixit, revealing some subtle and important changes that make Apple’s thinnest laptop more repairable.
Headlining the list of changes is the new Magic Keyboard with scissor-switch keys. iFixit found that the new keys don’t need a silicone barrier to keep dust out like the previous generation. The butterfly keyboards were supposed to enable MacBooks to be thinner, however, iFixit says going back to old scissor switches only adds .5mm to the device’s thickness.
Apple's donation of N95 ventilator masks came from a stock pile mandated by the state of California during the recent wildfire outbreak. Photo: Blue Shield of California
Following Saturday and Tuesdays’ announcements of Apple donating more than nine million N95 ventilator masks to help combat the coronavirus pandemic, the obvious question arises, why did Apple have so many masks? It now appears the answer was a simple one…A state mandate, instituted last year, to protect employees following the recent California wildfires.
Captain America put away his shield to star in Defending Jacob. Photo: Apple
Apple TV+ is about to get an all-new murder mystery show that will have viewers questioning how far they would go to defend their innocent children. The first official trailer for the upcoming murder mystery series Defending Jacob landed on YouTube Thursday ahead of the show’s release next month and it looks absolutely riveting.
Starring Chris Evans, Defending Jacob is about a small-town assistant district attorney whose family life is upended when his teenage son is accused of murder. While Evans is billed as the top actor for the series the first trailer reveals he’s surrounded by some other incredibly talents actors, such as J.K. Simmons and five-time Tony Award nominee Cherry Jones.
Watch the tension-filled first trailer right here:
ARKit 3.5 does a better of job of mixing people and virtual objects in augmented reality apps. Photo: Apple
ARKit 3.5, the new version of Apple’s augmented reality software, can capture a 3D representation of the world in real time. This feature employs the LiDAR scanner that’s already in the 2020 Pad Pro and expected in some of this autumn’s iPhone models.
And the version of ARKit that debuted yesterday in iOS 13.4 is better at allowing virtual objects to pass in front of and behind people in the scene.
Adobe is now looking for public beta testers for its iPad version of Illustrator. Photo: Adobe
Transitioning out of a closed beta, Adobe is now inviting users to beta test an upcoming iOS release of Illustrator for iPad, according to reports from various customers who have received an invitation in the past few days.
Google in recent days began rolling out a brand-new look for its Podcasts app on iOS for mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad. The overhaul integrates a number of new features into a cleaner user interface that’s split into just three tabs.
The changes are designed to make using Google Podcasts easier and more enjoyable — and to bring it up to speed with rivals.
Foxconn and Wistron plants in India are out of action for now. Photo: Carnegie Council
iPhone assemblers in India have been forced to suspect production due to a country-wide COVID-19 lockdown, according to a report published on Wednesday.
Facilities owned by Foxconn and Wistron are out of action for now. Production won’t resume until Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government lifts new lockdown measures.