With the looming shadow of antitrust, plenty of folks are talking about whether or not Apple is abusing its position. Specifically, they claim that Apple has a conflict of interests by running the App Store and also creating its own software tools.
Former Macintosh division boss Jean-Louis Gassée is now wading into the argument. Gassée says that people calling antitrust on Apple haven’t considered the number of jobs Apple has created through the App Store.
Apple’s recently-adjusted App Store algorithm prevents too many of its own apps from dominating search results.
The change, which followed Spotify’s complaint regarding “unfair” App Store practices several months, handicaps Apple titles and has had a huge impact since being introduced.
An anonymous Apple Store employee says that people who work in the stores have become more like “car salesmen or Best Buy employees.”
The disgruntled employee says that Apple’s shift to services means that staff are pushed to sell add-ons like AppleCare.
Nothing ruins a day out at a theme park quite like dropping your pricey $1,000 phone while riding a roller coaster.
Unless there’s a guy like Samuel Kempf sitting behind you, that is. Kempf recently shared a video showing how he snatched a dropped iPhone X out of mid-air — all while riding a roller coaster at speeds of 130 kilometers per hour. Check it out.
The Apple logo on the back of this year’s iPhone 11 lineup will shift to make way for a brand new feature, according to a new report.
The logo won’t disappear, but it will be perfectly centered for the first time in the iPhone’s history. The change will allow for a huge upgrade in wireless charging functionality.
Apple plans to stream Tuesday’s big iPhone 11 event on YouTube.
It’s the first time the company has used Google’s platform for a live keynote. It will make it easier than ever for fans to tune into the action on almost any platform.
Apple says that it is working to fix a problem in which too many temporary workers were found illegally working on the iPhone line at a Foxconn factory.
Over the weekend, New York-based watchdog China Labor Watch published a report about alleged violations. These supposedly took place at the biggest iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, China.
However, while Apple acknowledges the group’s point about temporary workers, it maintains the other findings are inaccurate.
This week we listen to Apple Music in the browser, live on the edge with The Most Dangerous Writing App, lock up our notes in Bear, and schedule our messages to send later in Telegram. And more, etc.
Get the scoop on this week’s best new (or freshly updated) apps for iOS and Mac.
The Cult of Mac Watch Store’s huge Labor Day sale is almost over — but there’s still some time to take advantage of the discounts. This one gets you 20% off all superb Strapa bands for Apple Watch until September 9.
Apple’s long bet on augmented reality is about to pay off. Thanks to new tools for developers, and hardware that can handle the advanced apps they create, an AR revolution is in the offing.
Find out how Apple will spark the AR boom in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it now for iOS, or see the top stories below in your browser.
Apple is just days away from unveiling the iPhone 11 lineup, but the rumor mill is already turning its attention to the 2020 iPhone.
In his latest research note to investors, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims the 2020 iPhone will feature an all-new design — the first in three years.
The accusations Google recently made about iOS security flaws were greatly overstated, deliberately “stoking fear” in iPhone users, according to Apple. The iPhone maker points out that the issues were much more narrow than its rival indicated, and were online for only a brief time.
The item-tracking tags Apple is expected to unveil next week will have ultra-wideband radio technology, according to a reliable analyst. This will make them much more accurate than rival trackers like Tile that depend on Bluetooth to measure distance.
Separate groups of US state attorneys general are investigating Facebook and Google for antitrust violations. So far, there has been no word of AGs probing Apple.
However, that doesn’t mean the iPhone maker has escaped probes by other government bodies, both in the US and Europe.
The Department of Justice has ordered Apple and Google to turn over names, phone numbers and IP addresses for users of a gun scope app that allows gun owners to calibrate scopes and capture video.
Data privacy activists say the government’s ask would set a “dangerous precedent,” giving officials access to data on thousands of innocent people.
Apple made a big update to the design of the sensor array that powers the autonomous functions on its self-driving fleet of cars.
Some eagle-eyed observers in the Cupertino area spotted the new array a couple of times over the last month or so. Instead of having LiDAR and camera sensors mounted on a rack around the car, Apple’s gearheads created a system that’s entirely enclosed. And it looks like they’ve ditched LiDAR in the process.
Watch Apple’s whip drive down the streets of Cupertino.
The ability to have back-and-forth conversations about users’ health problems is one of several new abilities planned for Siri in “fall 2021,” a new report claims.
Based on leaked documents, The Guardian says that Apple is planning a host of new features for its AI assistant. These will include built-in machine translation and, intriguingly, support for a new, unspecified piece of Siri hardware.
When Apple introduced ARKit in 2017, the augmented reality platform was hailed as a game-changer. Two years later, Apple’s AR push looks ready to deliver the type of experience that gets CEO Tim Cook so excited he wants to scream.
Thanks to a trio of new augmented reality tools for iOS 13, and the very real possibility of an Apple AR headset on the horizon, 2019 promises to be the start of something truly special for Apple’s augmented reality efforts.
Your iPhone is a great camera trapped in the body of a smartphone.
Shuttercase restores the ergonomic sensibility of your ancient DSLR to the iPhone with a grip and mechanical shutter button for quicker, reactive shooting.
Life is good if you’re Apple’s biggest contract manufacturer! Foxconn, a.k.a. Hon Hai Precision Industry, has reported its highest-ever August sales in the company’s 45-year history.
Foxconn sales hit $12.76 billion for August. That’s up 0.2% from one month earlier. This is the sixth consecutive month in which Foxconn has registered month-on-month increases. While it can’t necessarily all be chalked up to Cupertino, Apple represents more than 40% of Foxconn’s total sales.
Huawei’s newest AirPods clones have beaten Apple to active noise cancellation (ANC).
The new feature is rumored to be on its way to next-generation AirPods in 2020. But if you can’t wait, the latest FreeBuds have you covered — and they beat AirPods in other areas, too.
Pokémon Go developer Niantic has coughed up $4 million to settle a class-action trespassing lawsuit.
The massive payout comes after Niantic was sued in 2016 for allegedly encouraging dangerous play and trespassing. But thanks to hefty legal fees, plaintiffs will receive just $1,000 each.
An Apple Store in San Mateo’s Hillsdale Shopping Center was targeted by a trio of thieves Thursday night. They escaped from the San Mateo robbery with 40 Apple products.
The San Mateo robbery was reported at 9.01pm Thursday. Cops arrived within two minutes, but the thieves had already escaped. A high-speed pursuit then took place. However, the thieves got away.
This week on The CultCast: A noted leaker says the September 10 Apple event will include a mythical “one more thing.” Plus: More leaks shine a light on next week’s iPhone announcements; a new turbocharged Apple TV is on the way; and Apple Watch will finally get a long-awaited feature.
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..
The iPhone XR remains a big hit for Apple — not only in the U.S. but around the world. The $749 handset easily outsold every other smartphone during the first half of 2019, according to new data.