News - page 807

Apparently, we can forget about big new features for iOS 12, as Apple is reportedly focused on “addressing performance and quality issues” in 2018. But, this is great news! Cult of Mac Magazine shows you five things that should rise to the top of Cupertino’s fix-it list.

In this week’s issue, you’ll find that story and more. Graham Bower explains why it sucks when fitness apps don’t share your workout data with Apple, while Apple confirms HomePod’s supported audio sources. And, discover how to make Mac’s Launchpad useful again. Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.

Apple’s refurbished store is stocking up on new products heading into February.

Right after Apple added refurbished iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus units to its store this morning the company also added the latest generation Apple TV, giving customers an option to get it at a discount.

Sweet deals on HomeKit-compatible LED light bulbs and an iMac make it easy to gussy up your home or office. Plus, we found a great buy on a refurbished iPhone SE, and an aluminum charger that will store and juice up your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods all in one place!

HomePod orders are now “preparing for shipment” one week after Apple kicked off sales. Customers who have already claimed their device are seeing their credit cards charged ahead of the speaker’s February 9 launch.

As promised, YouTube’s $35-per-month YouTube TV service has landed on Apple TV.

The premium package, which offers a skinny bundle of 40+ live TV channels, has previously only been available on Apple TV if users ran it via AirPlay from an iPhone or iPad. Today marks the first time there has been a native Apple TV app.

Apple Watch owners who complete February’s Activity challenge will be rewarded with exclusive iMessage stickers. The event, which runs from February 8 to February 14, celebrates American Heart Month.

Apple’s got big plans for iOS 12, and we’ll tell you all about them this week on The CultCast. Plus: New details tell us more about 2018’s iPhone X Plus; Nintendo says a new Mario Kart is coming to iOS; Apple works to bring iPad apps to Mac; and don’t miss our review of the Elgato Stream Deck, a must-have accessory for you Twitch, Mixer and YouTube streamers.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace.com website. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off any hosting plan.

Apple is now offering refurbished iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus handsets at a discount. Shoppers can currently save up to 10 percent. All models arrive unlocked with a one-year warranty.

Apple may have $268.9 billion in cash on hand, but it doesn’t get everything it wants. According to a new report, Apple lost out to HBO on acquiring a new original TV series written by J.J. Abrams, his first since 2008’s Fringe.

Called Demimonde the series is about a family whose mom winds up in a coma following a car crash, after which her daughter and husband are transported to another world to fight a monstrous, oppressive force. HBO is describing the series as, “an epic and intimate sci-fi fantasy drama.”

Apple made more money last quarter than it ever has in the company’s history, but despite bringing home $88.3 billion in revenue, not all investors were impressed.

Wall Street walked away from Apple’s Q1 2018 earnings with mixed reviews. Money and cash is at an all-time high, yet there are some worrying signs that iPhone sales are about to hit another slump and new products like HomePod aren’t doing much to excite the market.

Here are the five biggest takeaways from today’s call:

The first Apple earnings report of 2018 is already here. Based on analysts’ expectations, it will probably be Apple’s biggest earnings ever.

Thanks to the high price of the iPhone X and the holiday shopping season, Apple is set to rake in record-setting profits this quarter. Wall Street is eager to know what Apple plans to do with all its cash, especially now that it is bringing more than $200 billion back home from overseas.

Tim Cook and Apple CFO Luca Maestri are set to get on the phone with investors at 2 p.m. Pacific to talk about all the numbers. Per usual, we’ll be right here live-blogging all the action with up-to-the-minute analysis on all of the juicy new nuggets.

Come join us:

iPhone X sales did not come in as strong last holiday season as investors hoped. Apple just posted its Q1 2018 earnings, and iPhone sales declined compared to the same quarter a year ago. Everyone on Wall Street seemed to expect an increase.

Still, there’s a silver lining: Despite the weaker iPhone sales, Apple made a record-setting $88.3 billion in revenue during the quarter. CEO Tim Cook says the iPhone X defied the company’s expectations, leading to Apple’s best quarter in history.

ARKit hasn’t produced any apps that are absolutely must-haves, but that could soon change with iOS 11.3.

Apple has added some new ARKit features in the updates slated for release this spring. iOS developer Andrew Hart has already created a demo that utilizes the image recognition tools to identify books on a store shelf while providing reviews and ratings from the internet.

Prepare to be amazed:

Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, is set to make another big investment in media.

The Emerson Collective, founded by Laurene Powell Jobs in 2004, is reportedly considering making an investment in the Buzzfeed media’s news division.

What would you do if your family reunion only lasted three minutes?

That’s the concept for Apple’s heartwarming new short film, Three Minutes, that celebrates Chinese New Year. The entire film tells the story of a mom who works as a train conductor on one of China’s longest routes. Her entire route takes six days to complete and she only gets to spend three minutes with her son and sister at one of the stops. What they do during that short time will shock you.

Prepare to have your heart strings pulled:

Nintendo has been making headlines with a range of do-it-yourself Switch accessories made out of cardboard. One of the best is a music keyboard, and now you can get one just like it for iPad.

It’s just one of the awesome ideas in this week’s Crowdfund Roundup. We also have a gaming mouse with joysticks, an affordable “smart pen” for iPad, and more!

The first big Apple earnings report for 2018 is nearly here. And, based on analysts’ expectations, it will likely be Apple’s biggest moneymaking quarter ever.

After weeks of waiting, investors will finally get their first look at how well the iPhone X is selling. Apple’s holiday sales probably hit historic levels. But with recent reports that Apple slashed iPhone X orders in half, there could be quite a few surprises in store.

As usual, Cult of Mac will be here to liveblog all the action as it transpires on Thursday, February 1, at 2 p.m. Pacific. Get ready to watch for these six things during the call:

YouTube TV, the $35-per-month alternative to cable TV, is reportedly coming to Apple TV “very soon.”

YouTube’s premium package offers a skinny bundle of 40+ live TV channels including the likes of ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, AMC, ESPN, the Disney Channel, Fox News and Bravo. The service is available in upwards of 80 markets around the United States, covering approximately 80 percent of the U.S. population.

Get an extra eye on the road with the awesome Owl Car Cam. Founded by Andy Hodge, a former iPod product leader, this dash camera was designed to give you home-grade security behind the wheel. It’s packed with stellar features you won’t find elsewhere.

With HomePod just over one week away from making its debut, Apple has confirmed which audio sources are officially supported. Apple Music and AirPlay are obviously on the list, but there are some big omissions.

India has just struck Apple another harsh blow by raising its duty on imported mobile phones from 15 percent to 20 percent.

The move, which will make imported iPhones more expensive, follows less than two months after the country raised the import duty from 10 percent to 15 percent. It comes at a time when Apple is trying to grow its market in the world’s fastest-growing smartphone market.

Telegram and Telegram X vanished from the App Store on Wednesday and are yet to return. It’s not yet clear if the apps were pulled by Apple or Telegram.

After a year and a half of rumors, Apple will open its first ever Apple Store in Austria on February 24, according to Apple’s own website.

The new Vienna Apple store is located at the Kärntnerstrasse, one of downtown Vienna’s most profitable shopping streets, in a three-floor location previously occupied by clothing company Esprit. Until now, the closest physical stores were located in Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.

In news that’s worthy of celebration, Nintendo says that Mario Kart Tour, a new instalment in its crazy popular kart racing franchise, is coming to iOS.

In a tweet, Nintendo said that, “The checkered flag has been raised and the finish line is near.” However, it’s not revealing exactly when the game will be speeding into the App Store — other than that it will be in the “fiscal year ending in March 2019.”

This week, GarageBand saw the first new entry in its Sound Library since the feature was added in version 2.3. The Sound Library is a kind of App Store for music, letting you browse and download all kinds of samples, loops, presets and even brand-new software instruments. These come in sound packs arranged around a theme or genre. The new one is called Flex and Flow, and it brings you chilled hip-hop.