It's ugly, but it's a step forward. Photo: Benjamin Geskin
An alleged iPhone 8 prototype with a significantly larger display and slimmer bezels has made its way into the wild. Although it almost certainly doesn’t carry the handset’s final design, it’s still surprisingly ugly for an Apple device.
Unlike most Apple Pencil accessories, this little sleeve doesn't fetishize a basic tool. Photo: FRTMA
With the Apple Pencil getting so useful in the upcoming iOS 11, you might consider purchasing one for use with your iPad Pro. There are already a slew of accessories for the Pencil, most of which are utterly ridiculous, like this leather case — from Apple itself, no less.
As a longtime Apple Pencil user, though, one accessory has caught my eye. It’s the FRTMA magnetic sleeve, and it solves a whole bunch of Apple Pencil “problems” all at once.
Get in on the new betas while they're hot. Photo: Apple
Public testers can finally get their first taste of Apple’s new operating system for Mac starting today with the release of the first public beta of macOS High Sierra.
Apple’s new operating system was unveiled earlier this month at WWDC 2017 where the company showed off macOS High Sierra’s new features and improved design. Developers have been testing the new software since June 5th, but now anyone can get macOS High Sierra which is being billed as Apple’s best desktop operating system ever.
Photographer Joe Cunningham still thinks his original iPhone is the best. Photo: Joe Cunningham
The iPhone has changed enormously in the 10 years since it launched, but some people still think the first iPhone was the best.
Take, for instance, Minnesota photographer Joe Cunningham, who owns not one but two of Apple’s breakthrough smartphones. He doesn’t view them as investments, either. Even though the original iPhone goes for big bucks on eBay these days, Cunningham continues to use both handsets on a daily basis.
Boomerang now streams to your big screen. Photo: Boomerang
The Boomerang network has updated its streaming app to add support for Apple TV. Users can enjoy classic cartoons like Tom & Jerry, Scooby-Doo, and The Flintstones on the big screen — so long as they cough up for a subscription.
Instrumental founder and CEO Anna Katrina Shedletsky, who is using her experience as an Apple product design engineer to bring AI to manufacturing. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Almost all electronic products are still assembled by hand, even hundreds of millions of iPhones.
At the forefront of this is an ex-Apple product design engineer, Anna-Katrina Shedletsky, who is using her expertise to help other manufacturers build their products.
On this episode of the Apple Chat podcast, we talk to Shedletsky about her new AI startup, Instrumental; Apple’s giant manufacturing operation; the role of product design; and much more.
If you’re curious how Apple makes its products, listen to the podcast or check out the full transcript below.
What does Tony Fadell, "godfather" of the iPod, think of the iPhone? Photo: Nest
Over the past decade, the iPhone has changed pretty much everything, from communication and gaming to the way in which we consume news and pay for our groceries. But how has the device impacted the lives of tech titans?
Find out from Eben Upton, creator of Raspberry Pi; Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia; Tony Fadell, founder of Nest and “godfather” of the iPod, and more.
Members of the original iPhone development team, Greg Christie, Bas Ording and Brian Huppi talking to journalist Brian Merchant. Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
PALO ALTO, California — The first iPhone “prototype” was strung together using bits of wood, duct tape and some old Polaroid lenses.
Key members of the Apple team reminisced about those early DIY efforts Wednesday night during a discussion led by Brian Merchant, author of The One Device, a new book about the birth of the iPhone.
“This thing was really kludged together,” said Brian Huppi, a former Apple engineer who helped build the first system. “It was built out of wood, duct tape and old lenses from the ’60s.”
These prototypes show some of the early steps Apple took in developing the revolutionary iPhone. Photo: Hap Plain
Apple collector Hap Plain can observe the iPhone’s 10th anniversary today by powering up two extremely rare iPhone prototypes — and you can see them in action, too.
The prototypes, which likely passed through the hands of Apple execs including Steve Jobs, Tony Fadell and Scott Forstall, offer a unique glimpse at iPhone development. You can see Plain fire them up in the video below, the latest entry in Cult of Mac’s collaboration with Wired UK to recap a decade of the iPhone.
Bid goodbye to old apps. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple’s mission to eliminate 32-bit apps is no longer focused solely on iOS. The company told developers this week that its upcoming High Sierra update will be the last macOS release to support 32-bit titles “without compromise.”
Are iPhones making our eyesight worse? Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Smartphones may be changing the shape of our eyes, leading smartphone users to wear multifocal contact lenses, claims ophthalmologist Andrew Bastawrous in an intriguing new article for Wired U.K., marking 10 years since the launch of the iPhone.
Bastawrous says that smartphones may be linked to the phenomenon of more people becoming shortsighted than they were a decade ago, caused by the growth of their eyeball. The results can include glaucoma retinal detachment and another retinal problems. And sadly there’s no app for that!
Is your iPhone keeping you awake at night? Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Have a teenager who’s always wide-awake at night? Blame their iPhone.
One sleep researcher says that smartphone addiction is proving an additional delay to sleep onset, meaning some kids are only getting six hours of sleep a night. The result is chronic tiredness and poor school performance.
It's basically a free app development course! Photo: Apple
Each year, the Worldwide Developers Conference offers a golden opportunity for developers looking for an inside scoop on making the most of Apple’s technology. Luckily, you don’t need to attend to gain all that knowledge: Apple just made the 100-plus WWDC 2017 developer sessions available online.
Anyone can watch the videos for free — and even search a massive database of full WWDC session transcripts.
One of the greatest product unveilings in history. Photo: Apple
Whether you write about it on a daily basis or just use it to stay in touch with your friends, family and the world around you, the iPhone is such a big part of our lives today that it’s difficult to remember what it was like before it existed.
With today marking 10 years since the original iPhone going on sale, it’s worth venturing back in time to check out Steve Jobs’ original unveiling of the iPhone at the 2007 Macworld.
This is the moment everything changed — and our Moto Q, Palm Treo and Nokia E62 handsets suddenly looked very, very dated:
The mural depicts the Banyan tree, a traditional meeting place. Photo: Apple
Ahead of its opening this Saturday, Apple has shared some photos of its first Apple retail store in Taiwan.
The store is located on the ground floor of Taiwan’s iconic Taipei 101 skyscraper, the supertall skyscraper in Xinyi District, Taipei, which was the world’s tallest building until it was overtaken by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2009.
Former Apple designer Bas Ording created the rubber band effect, which convinced Steve Jobs to build the iPhone. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
One day in early 2005, interface designer Bas Ording was sitting in a secret, windowless lab at Apple HQ when the phone rang. It was Steve Jobs.
The first thing Jobs says is that the conversation is super-secret, and must not be repeated to anyone. Ording promises not to.
“He’s like, ‘Yeah, Bas, we’re going to do a phone,'” Ording told Cult of Mac, recalling that momentous call from long ago. “‘It’s not going to have any buttons and things on it, it’s just a screen. Can you build a demo that you can scroll through a list of names, so you could choose someone to call?’ That was the assignment I got, like pretty much directly from Steve.”
InkCase is finally available for iPhone 7. Photo: InkCase
Ever thought you could do with a second display on your iPhone? InkCase for iPhone 7 is exactly that. You can use it to read books, display useful widgets or pretty photos, and lots more.
It’s just one of the awesome ideas in this week’s Crowdfund Roundup. We also have the world’s first wireless earbuds with Bluetooth 5.0, the ultimate survival tool, and more!
iOS 11 has a lot of secret features. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
A new sound file hidden inside iOS 11 may hint at a major new feature coming to the iPhone 8 later this year.
Early rumors claim Apple’s next smartphone will pack inductive charging capabilities when it debuts in the fall. Now it looks like iOS 11 may have confirmed the feature with a new sound file called “engage_power.caf” that’s not being used at all.
This bag, which held an original iPhone on launch day in 2007, is now a super-rare Apple collectible. Photo: Mark Johnson
It’s cool to own an original, first-gen iPhone. But if you really want to show that you were among the Apple faithful — a true believer who queued up for Cupertino’s inaugural handset back on June 29, 2007 — you’re going to want an extra accessory: the custom paper bag it came in.
More than just an oddball Apple collectible, it’s an early example of the extraordinary care Cupertino puts into packaging its magical devices.
One of the many breathtaking shots of Canada shot on iPhone. Photo:
Apple published a new video to celebrate Canada’s inclusive spirit today as the company’s latest ad for its ‘Shot on iPhone’ campaign.
The inspiring commercial was created by three Canadian artists with the help of iPhone owners across the country. Like many of Apple’s other ‘Shot on iPhone’ ads the new ‘Portrait of Canada’ spot features a montage of short videos and photographs captured by iPhone.
Apple has partnered with TokBox to enable video streams via WebRTC. Photo: Cult of Mac
Safari 11 brings some big upgrades to enhance your browsing experience on macOS High Sierra and iOS 11. With the latest iteration of its web browser, Apple aims to shoot down aggressive web practices that hamper user experience, while also adding tons of under-the-hood features. The new Safari also promises to bring increased stability, speed and power efficiency.
Here’s everything you need to know about Safari 11.
Need a tablet? Scoop up deals on open-box and refurbished iPads now. Photos: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac, Virgin Mobile, 11 bit studios, Apple
We’ve spotted a bunch of killer iPad deals this week, including one on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. You’ll find those hot buys, plus a free year of iPhone service and more, in this week’s grab bag of best Apple deals.
Flyover is getting a major upgrade in iOS 11. Photo: Apple
Ever wonder what it feels like to be a Godzilla-sized monster traipsing around the skyscrapers of New York City? Well, with iOS 11 now you can.
Apple has subtly added a cool new virtual reality mode in Apple Maps with the release of iOS 11 that lets users explore 3D models of some of the world’s most popular cities. The new feature is powered by Apple’s new ARKit, allowing you to walk around your house and tilt your phone camera around to visit different parts of the city.
You probably had no idea your iPhone has a built-in magnifying glass. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Damon Rose is 46, and has been blind since he was a teenager. In 2012, the iPhone changed his life.
Rose, a senior broadcast journalist at the BBC, uses GPS to get around unfamiliar areas, with an earbud stuck in one ear, and uses a third-party app that tells him what shops he’s walking past. It’s “amazingly helpful,” he told Cult of Mac. “I can look at menus on restaurant websites while I’m sitting there with my first drink of the evening,” instead of having the waiter read out the menu.
The iPhone might not have been the first phone with accessibility features, but it was certainly the first popular pocket computer to be easily useable by the blind and the hearing-impaired.
Want to dress like Steve Jobs? It'll cost you $270 -- plus a pair of Levi's. Photo: Ben Stanfield/Flickr CC
Fashion designer Issey Miyake, creator of Steve Jobs’ iconic mock turtleneck, is launching a very similar shirt. Called the Semi-Dull T, it will go on sale next month for $270.
Although not exactly the same, the new creation looks close enough to the original to inspire a strong sense of déjà vu.