Your Instagram activity is now on display. Photo: Lee Peterson/Cult of Mac
Instagram is taking a page out of Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp’s playbook this week by adding a new feature that lets your friends stalk you even more.
Intel will task GPUs with antivirus scanning. Photo: Intel
Intel has confirmed that fixes for the widespread Spectre bug can cause unwanted reboots on many PCs. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the company has also revealed that its latest chips — including the Kaby Lake line launched in 2017 — are also susceptible to the bug.
Set during the 1980s, the game lets you join the ranks at Hogwarts. Photo: Jam City
Harry Potter is coming to iOS. Well, kind of.
In fact, a forthcoming game from Los Angeles-based developer Jam City, in partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, will let you create your very own Hogwarts student and then take them through the school: attending classes, learning magic, forming friendships and rivalries, and generally learning how to grow as a wizard.
It sounds intriguing, and we’re hoping it lives up to the enormous potential of its concept. Check out the first trailer for Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery below.
Park cheaper this weekend with Apple Pay. Photo: SpotHero
Apple Pay’s latest promotion can save you 20 percent off SpotHero parking in major U.S. cities. The discount is valid against a single reservation valued up to $5 through January 25.
Is Facebook Messenger messing you around? Photo: Facebook
Facebook has confirmed it is investigating a frustrating Messenger bug that’s plaguing some users on iPhone. There is no workaround for the issue at this time, which means users have no choice but to live with it until it’s finally fixed.
Apple and other tech giants say ending immigration program would be bad for hiring. Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC
Apple’s not giving up on fighting what it considers to be the good fight when it comes to immigration. On Thursday, a coalition of businesses including Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and others urged President Trump not to abandon a program that allows the spouses of high-skilled immigrants to work in the U.S. while they are in the process of seeking permanent residence.
The initiative was introduced by President Barack Obama in 2015, but could be abandoned by the Trump administration as part of its crackdown on immigration.
Apple was handed its massive tax bill in the middle of 2016. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple will pay its 13 billion euros ($15.5 billion) tax bill between March and September this year, Ireland’s Department of Finance Secretary General Derek Moran has told the country’s Public Accounts Committee.
The European Commission ordered the Irish government to recover the money from Apple after ruling that it received illegal state aid in Ireland. While Ireland is still appealing the decision, it must still collect the money, which will then be placed in an escrow account until the dispute is settled.
Apple video's new home in Culver City. Photo: Culver City Planning Dept.
Apple looks set to open a new office in Culver City, California, after HBO backed out of plans to take the lease. The new building, which features 128,000 square feet of space, is projected to open in late 2019 and could become the home of Apple’s original video efforts.
iOS 11 will likely land on most people's iPhones in March. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
With Apple facing mounting pressure, Tim Cook has revealed that a future iOS 11 update will let users disable the feature that was causing their iPhone to throttle performance.
In an interview with ABC News, Cook said that, “We’re going to give people the visibility of the health of their battery so it’s very, very transparent. This hasn’t been done before.”
Apple helped turn Reno, Nevada, into a booming city. Photo: Lvtalon/Wikipedia CC
One of Apple’s most important data centers is about to get a $1 billion expansion.
Apple CEO Tim Cook was on hand today for the groundbreaking ceremony of the expanded data center in Reno, Nevada, that the company uses to power services like FaceTime, iMessage and iCloud.
Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021 Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
President Donald Trump’s new tax law is doing great things for Apple employees’ wallets.
Apple told employees today that it plans to give all of them $2,500 worth of restricted stock, thanks to the revised tax law that goes into effect this year.
A new Apple HQ is already on the way! Photo: Duncan Sinfield
Apple’s big tax break is about to unleash an avalanche of spending from the iPhone-maker.
In a public statement this morning, Apple revealed its plans to contribute $350 billion to the U.S. economy over the next five years now that the fee for repatriating its mountain of overseas cash has been significantly lowered.
Wiig will play Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984 instead. Photo: Universal Pictures
Apple is bringing Kristen Wiig back to TV.
Wigg is set to star in Apple’s first TV comedy series that’s being executive produced by Reese Witherspoon. It will be the first time Wigg has starred in a TV show since she left Saturday Night Live in 2012.
Instagram makes sharing Stories simpler. Photo: Instagram
Instagram is taking another swipe at Snapchat with a new feature called “Type.” It allows users to post text to their Stories — without adding a photo or video — and it’s in testing now ahead of a wider rollout. Another Snapchat feature is also on its way.
Apple named in another top tech list. Photo: Apple
Apple has earned a spot on the first “Top 100 Global Technology Leaders” list from Thomson Reuters.
The iPhone-maker was named in sixth place behind rivals like Microsoft and Google, but it did beat out Amazon and Samsung. The list is based on a 28-factor algorithm that measures performance across eight benchmarks, including innovation, environmental impact, and reputation.
BMW plans to charge users $80 per year for CarPlay. Photo: Apple
Up until now, Apple’s in-car platform CarPlay has been offered as a one-off payment if you want it in a BMW vehicle. That could soon change, however, according to a new report, suggesting that BMW is looking to switch to a subscription-based system.
Apple and HBO are vying for a new sci-fi drama series written by Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams. The untitled show is the first bit of TV writing Abrams has done since working on Fringe a decade ago in 2008.
In addition to Fringe, Abrams co-created the popular TV show Lost, as well as creating both Felicity and Alias. He has also executive-produced multiple shows in the past few years, including HBO’s Westworld, Showtime’s Roadies and Hulu’s upcoming Castle Rock.
HomePod's launch could be right around the corner. Photo: Apple
Apple suppliers have begun shipping the first HomePod units ahead of the smart speaker’s much-anticipated launch. Just 1 million devices are on the way initially. However, Apple is expected to receive as many as 12 million by the end of this year.
iPhone slowdown case has caused multiple lawsuits around the world. Photo: Apple
Apple has said that it will reduce the cost of replacement batteries as a result of its iPhone slowdown controversy. However, according to a new lawsuit leveled against Apple this practice could wind up destroying valuable evidence.
In a motion filed in Los Angeles by lawyer Adam Levitt of DiCello Levitt & Casey, the claimant says that it is important to, “maintain and preserve any data [Apple] collects through diagnostic testing in order to protect the claims of all affected consumers.” In other words, stop throwing away batteries!
One lucky high school student secured an interview with Tim Cook. Photo: Apple
As CEO of the world’s most valuable company, Tim Cook can pick and choose where he gives interviews. Which is why it’s kind of cool that he just gave an interview to high school student Rebecca Kahn.
In an article published by the National Center for Women & Information Technology, Kahn recalls her experience speaking Tim Cook — and the unlikely way it all came about.
Another strange bug has been discovered in Messages for Mac and iOS. Following a certain URL causes all kinds of issues on both platforms, including freezes, restarts, and even battery issues. You don’t even have to open the link to suffer the problems.
Apple suppliers are reportedly seeing decreasing orders for iPhones in 2018. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Poor sales of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus may be dragging down “the momentum” of the iPhone X, a new report claims.
Citing component suppliers in the iPhone supply chain, it’s claimed that the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus began to show signs of declining demand in the fourth quarter of 2017, and overall component orders for iPhone devices in Q1 2018 have dropped 15-30 percent below the expected numbers as a result.
Apple Watch needs some of these tweaks. Photo: Matt Birchler
WWDC 2018 is six months away but it’s not too early to start dreaming of new watchOS software.
Concept designer Matt Birchler has created a detailed look at some incredible features he thinks Apple should add to the Apple Watch. Some of the ideas like always-on watch faces seem like no-brainers for future updates, but Birchler also has some ideas on how to pack more useful information on the watch face.
Smuggling cocaine in an iPhone box in the UAE is a bad idea. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
If you’re gonna smuggle cocaine, don’t use iPhone boxes.
The United Arab Emirates have sentenced a man to death after he was recently caught in Abu Dhabi the country with iPhone boxes stuffed to the brim with blow.