Perhaps some extra time will let Microsoft rethink the design of the Surface Earbuds. Photo: Microsoft
Making a serious rival to AirPods is harder than Microsoft thought. It just pushed back the release of Surface Earbuds until well past the holiday shopping season.
The wheel only works one way. It takes you back. Photo: Elago
You probably miss your classic iPod — the one with the click Wheel interface — but it’s no longer practical to carry. But accessories company Elago has an iPod-inspired AirPods case that can fill the hole in your aching heart.
Building your smart home is about to get a whole lot easier. Photo: Abode
Abode finally scored HomeKit certification for its Iota home security hub. This allows iPhone and iPad users to arm and disarm the system, get alerts, and access the video feed coming from this gateway. Even better, sensors connected through this hub can also be controlled via HomeKit.
Adobe promises changes to Photoshop on iPad very soon. Photo: Apple
Adobe says it will soon deliver features and updates to its iPad version of Photoshop.
The announcement comes after a buildup of user frustration over the launch earlier this month of Photoshop for iPad, a highly anticipated release after the imaging software giant promised a full-power version for the tablet computer.
79 Apple Stores are part of the pilot. Photo: Apple
Some Apple Stores in the U.S. and Canada are trialling extended eligibility periods for AppleCare+, according to a new report.
The trial, which started this week, allows Apple’s extended warranty plan to be purchased beyond the usual 60-day window. But devices must be inspected by the Genius Bar first.
Trump’s China deal may stop Apple hiking prices of iPhones and iPads Photo: White House
Apple CEO Tim Cook clearly impressed Donald Trump yesterday during their tour of the Mac Pro factory; the president suggested that Apple be involved in rolling out 5G access across the US.
Apple has learned some lessons from iOS 13. Photo: Apple
The challenges Apple has experienced with buggy iOS 13 is causing it to rethink the way it builds and tests operating systems, starting with iOS 14.
According to Bloomberg, software boss Craig Federighi recently announced the changes at a “kickoff” meeting. The new approach will make it easier for testers to be able to switch on and off new features. This is so they can better work out how the features independently impact software functionality.
Gamers using the Steam Link app on iOS can now enjoy multiplayer games with friends who use a PC.
Valve’s new Remote Play Together feature, announced last month, is already out of beta and available to all. And it works across Windows, macOS, and Linux — as well as Android and iOS.
Japan Display makes LCD screens for the iPhone. Photo: Kristal Chan/Cult of Mac
Apple display-maker Japan Display may be struggling — but one of its executives apparently hasn’t been. The firm revealed today that it fired an accounting executive last year for allegedly embezzling $5.3 million over four years.
Japan Display is now cooperating with police in a criminal investigation of the unnamed employee.
Apple and Intel have filed an antitrust lawsuit against Fortress Investment Group, claiming that the investment management group is stockpiling patents. It then allegedly uses these patents to demand as much as $5.1 billion in lawsuits filed against tech firms.
Both Apple and Intel are accusing the firm of stockpiling patents, despite it not actually making any tech products. They claim this is in violation of United States antitrust laws.
Are you excited about the arrival of 5G iPhones? Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Ever reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the upcoming 5G iPhones will support both mmWave and sub-6GHz bands. This will allow them to interoperate effectively with 5G cell towers all across the United States.
Apple CEO Tim Cook talks Mac Pro and American jobs with President Trump. Screenshot: White House
President Donald Trump today toured the factory in Texas where the blazing-fast new Mac Pro is being assembled. His tour guide was Apple CEO Tim Cook, further demonstrating the good relationship the two have, despite disagreeing on many topics.
The Banker was originally scheduled to debut last year. Photo: Apple
The Banker, the first Apple TV+ original movie, will miss its world debut this week. Apple pulled the film after allegations of sexual abuse emerged involving Bernard Garrett Jr., the son of one of the men portrayed in the film and a co-producer of the project.
In the wake of recently surfaced accusations lodged by his half-sisters, Cynthia and Sheila Garrett, Garrett Jr.’s name has been scrubbed from the movie’s publicity materials. And the movie, originally scheduled to premier Thursday night at AFI Fest in Los Angeles, has been nixed. Now it’s not clear when it will be released.
Is Apple trying to silence Guilherme Rambo?
Photo: Twitter
Guilherme Rambo, one of the top Apple secret-spillers, says Apple locked him out of his developer account, preventing him from accessing critical tools needed to create and update iOS and Mac apps.
In a blog post detailing his problem, Rambo revealed that Apple locked him out in August. Since then, all his attempts to resolve the issue met a dead end, he says. Rambo’s post doesn’t mention that he digs through Apple beta software looking for clues about unreleased Apple products — and publishes his findings on 9to5Mac. That might be the precise reason why he’s locked out.
The Cult of Mac, 2nd Edition takes another deep dive into Apple fandom. Photo: No Starch Press
Apple fans run on their own colorful OS that seems nearly impossible to hack. This growing subculture is worthy of study — and a place on your coffee table! You can get to know some of the world’s biggest Apple fans, thanks to the rich stories and colorful photographs in The Cult of Mac, 2nd Edition, by Leander Kahney and David Pierini.
The book, which hits stores Dec. 17, is much more than an update to Kahney’s 2006 book, The Cult of Mac (which gave this blog its name). Now available for preorder from Amazon, the second edition is a companion volume crammed with new stories and pictures. All told, they paint a picture of a uniquely devoted community.
Apple today dropped its newest Smart Battery Case for the iPhone 11 series. It’s much like its predecessors, but this time around it has a new button that provides instant access to your camera.
Roger Lynch kickin it in Cannes. Photo: Roger Lynch/Twitter
One of Apple’s biggest publishing partners for Apple News+ is still waiting to be impressed by the fledgling subscription service.
Speaking at Recode’s Code Media conference this week, Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch said the “jury is out” on the service. His less-than-enthusiastic endorsement of Apple News+ comes a week after a report claimed Apple is struggling to significantly increase the number of paid subscribers for Apple News+.
Filmic brings live analytics to its new camera app for iPhone. Screenshot: Filmic/App Store
An app developer putting out a camera and photo editing app today is in for a steep, uphill climb. Dozens of apps populate the category and those at the top are holding that place for a reason.
But the name Filmic should grab the iPhone photographer’s attention. The maker of Filmic Pro, the go-to app for mobile filmmakers, now offers a unique camera experience for stills called Firstlight.
If you’re not smart enough to work at Apple, or important enough to be given a tour by Tim Cook, you’ll probably never get the chance to look around Apple Park. Fortunately, travel videographer Yongsung Kim served up the next best thing with an Apple Park video tour.
In a recently published YouTube video, he takes the world inside Apple Park’s spaceship campus in Cupertino, California. The video shows parts of the building you won’t normally see during a trip to the Apple Park Visitor Center. Check it out!