A feast for the eyes and ears. And mouse. Photo: Cult of Mac
This week we create music-synced video art with Glitch Clip, import music to our iPhone with Doppler 2, take proper control of Shortcuts with LaunchCuts, and more.
The Scosche BaseLynx Modular Charging System isn’t identical to AirPower, but it does the same thing. Photo: Scosche
The Scoshe BaseLynx modular charging system just became an Apple Store exclusive. This can wirelessly power an iPhone and an Apple Watch, and it has slots to hold several iPads or iPhones while they charge.
It not the only such multi-device charger that Apple offers to customers in the wake of its botched attempt to create its own AirPower charger.
No Way Home promises loads of lighthearted blasting fun. Photo: Apple/SMG Studios
You’ll need your ship, your blaster and a wacky robot companion to survive the excitement of No Way Home, a role-playing game for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV that just debuted on Apple’s gaming service.
It features hand-drawn artwork and a story that spans a huge universe.
Another disposable camera app, but this one has a big name behind it. ScreenShot: David's Disposable/App Store
More than a dozen apps in the photo category of Apple’s App Store appropriate the shoddy, snapshot esthetics of single-use, or disposable, cameras.
The newest joining this niche category two weeks ago features nothing unique. Yet it quickly surpassed 1 million downloads because the popular internet celebrity behind the app told followers to “check out my new app.”
Imagine an iMac that looked like this. Photo: Cult of Mac
The iMac is far overdue for a redesign. The current “tapered edge” design dates back to 2012, and was itself mostly a slimming-down of the original aluminum iMac from 2007. Viewed from the front, the iMac looks the same today as it did 13 years ago. You could say that the iMac doesn’t need to change its look, and that’s a valid point. But it’s showing its age in other areas too, and that’s more of a problem. Could we soon see an ARM iMac? If so, what might it look like?
A Firefox security flaw needs to be patched as quickly as possible. Photo: Mozilla
Everyone running the recently-released Firefox 72 on their Mac should install a patch immediately. The security vulnerability in this web browser is severe enough for a US Homeland Security agency to encourage users to install the update. Mozilla says it’s already aware of attacks that use this Firefox security flaw.
Democrat lawmakers in Vermont are trying really hard to lose the youth vote in 2020 with a newly proposed law that would ban anyone under 21 from using a smartphone.
The bill, introduced to the committee by Democratic senator John Rodgers, lists cyberbullying, terrorist radicalization and mass shootings as a few of the reasons why people under 21 aren’t mature enough to possess a cellphone.
iOS 13 offers Audio Sharing, a feature also coming in Bluetooth LE Audio. Photo: Apple
Bluetooth LE Audio, a new version of this wireless standard, sets out to increase the battery lives of audio devices like Apple’s AirPods. It will provide high-quality sound even at low data rates, reducing the power requirements of tiny in-ear headphones.
It's shaping up to be an exciting year for tech. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
The post-holiday tech fest that is CES shutters its doors today for another year. This week’s event has been as weird and as wonderful as any other, giving us a glimpse of all kinds of innovative gadgets on the way in 2020.
Better AirPods alternatives. Wireless chargers that achieve what Apple couldn’t. iPhone cases you can throw on the compost heap when they’re no longer needed. Here are the biggest trends from CES 2020.
You won't get as much money for your old devices today as you would yesterday. Photo: Pictures of Money/Flickr CC
Overnight Apple has chopped estimated trade-in values on a variety of products. It means that users will get less money for their old products when they try and trade them in with Apple.
Note to Cupertino: When people talk about wishing that Apple would cut prices on their products, this isn’t what they generally mean!
"You mean, people are still playing it?" Photo: The Pokémon Company
No game dominated the summer of 2016 quite like the augmented reality blockbuster Pokémon Go. Raking in massive bucks and plenty of virtual column inches that summer, the game became a massive smash hit — before fading from view.
At least, that’s the perspective of people who wonder if anyone still plays Pokémon GO. In fact, not only do people still play it; the game just had its best year to date. What’s the secret to its longevity? And why is that a good thing for gamers?
Apple made a donation back in December. Photo: Cult of Mac / Picturesofmoney
Apple is making it easier for people to make donations to the Red Cross to help efforts in Australia as it battles back against the terrible bushfires the country has experienced.
Users can make Red Cross donations of between $5 to $200 through iTunes and the App Store. Apple is not taking any commission or processing fees for the donations, which will go entirely to charity.
"Hello ma'am, this is, ugh, John from your bank. Could you tell me your account number?" Photo: Donald Tong/Pexels CC
A hacker recently stole $16,000 from a Mac owner in Cape Coral, Florida, by posing as Apple tech support.
The fraudster phoned the targeted individual and prompted the victim to hand over personal information. They said they would use this to solve assorted problems with the person’s Mac. Instead, they stole money that the victim may well never get back.
Masimo Corp claims Apple Watch uses its trade secrets. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Apple Watch’s incredible pulse-monitoring powers are at the center of Apple’s newest legal battle.
Masimo Corp., a healthcare company that manufactures pulse monitor technology, filed a lawsuit against Apple alleging that the iPhone-maker stole trade secrets.
The Wemo WiFi Smart Plug and Wemo Stage were both unveiled at CES 2020. Photo: Belkin
Belkin’s latest version of its Wemo smart plug with HomeKit support is significantly smaller than its predecessor, making it less obtrusive on wall sockets.
The company also unveiled at CES 2020 the Wemo Stage, a remote than can be used to launch HomeKit scenes with the punch of a button.
The second-gen Apple Pencil has a single capacitive button, but Apple is considering several more. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Building on the capabilities of the Apple Pencil active stylus, Apple proposes adding additional touch-sensitive controls to the exterior. This would expand the capabilities of this drawing tool for the iPad without making it more difficult to use.
This is just one of several ways Apple is considering to improve the Pencil.
The window 'manager' you never knew you wanted. Photo: John Siracusa
If you’re at your Mac, go ahead and click a window for another app (don’t forget to come back right away). Clicking an app’s window brings it to the foreground, of course. But did you notice that only the window you clicked came forward. If that other app has any other windows open, they will stay hidden. It wasn’t always this way. In pre-OS X days, the default behavior was to bring all those windows to the front. And now, thanks to a new app called Front and Center, from John Siracusa, you can get this behavior on a modern Mac.
Shows like The Morning Show have been hits. But Apple has to build them from the ground-up. Photo: Apple
You may not have ever heard of him, but Apple TV+ has a lot riding on Michael Ellenberg.
As the executive producer of The Morning Show, Ellenberg’s unproven production company was the first to score a multi-season deal for Apple TV+. In a recent interview with Variety, Ellenberg discussed how ’90s morning TV shows inspired The Morning Show along with the pressure of developing two more shows for Apple TV+.
Apple sure has sold a lot of iPhones over the years. Photo: MacPaw
Apple will sell its 2 billionth iPhone in 2020 or 2021, a poll of analysts suggests.
They suggest that Apple will sell close to 195 million iPhones in fiscal 2020. That would bring the total number of iPhones sold since launch to around 1.9 billion units. Provided that they are talking about Apple’s fiscal 2020, which ends in September, that could conceivably mean pushing past the 2 billion milestone this calendar year.
75 computers, a bunch of Newton MessagePads, and more. Photo: Jimmy Grewal
A large white room filled with row upon row of just about every Apple computer you can imagine, all in pristine condition. On the walls are framed copies of Apple’s black-and-white “Think Different” ads. Sunlight streams through the large windows, giving everything a warm glow.
Is this heaven? The world’s greatest Apple Store? Nope, it’s Dubai, actually. Home to Jimmy Grewal, a collector of vintage Apple computers and one of the most impressive collections you’re likely to find anywhere.
Cook’s award shelf is quickly running out of room. Photo: Apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook is set to receive a Special Recognition Award for the company’s 40 years of investment in Ireland, the IDA confirmed to Cult of Mac.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar will present Cook with the accolade on January 20 in Dublin. It may be met with criticism from some as Apple continues to pay back €13 billion in unpaid Irish taxes.
Rob McElhenney, co-creator of Apple TV+’s upcoming video game comedy Mythic Quest, says that Apple was “very helpful” in the creative process involved in making the show. But he noted that the company was more than willing to push back on issues it felt strongly about.
“Deference would assume we always know what we’re doing and when we walk into the room everyone should just be quiet,” McElhenney told Variety. “That is dangerous because then you have no opposition, and it doesn’t make for the best process.”
TiVo's probably not getting an Apple TV app. Not in the future -- or whenever this picture was taken. Photo: TiVo
TiVo’s plans for an Apple TV app are “currently on hold,” according to an executive at the company. Speaking with TechHive, Ted Malone, TiVo’s VP of consumer products and services, described the promised app as being “in limbo.”
A spokesperson later said that this is because the company has, “re-prioritized several projects in order to focus on the launch of TiVo Stream 4K.” It sounds as if Roku and Fire TV apps may also be set to suffer a similar fate.