Happy weekend everyone! Depending on where you are in the world, your weekend is either halfway through or coming to an end, but there’s always time to catch up on some of the week’s best apps.
That’s where we come in. We’ve combed through the App Store to highlight what we feel are the best, most important, or otherwise noteworthy apps and app updates of the past 7 days.
Check out our list below. You won’t be disappointed!
If you’re in the market for a new smartphone, checking prices could give you a serious case of sticker shock. Both the iPhone 7 and Google’s Pixel start at $649 and go up from there, with a top-of-the-line iPhone 7 Plus selling for $969.
If you’re OK with having something that’s a little less than the latest model, going with a used phone can save you a bundle. The downside? Getting a good deal — and a phone that works — takes more effort than buying a new phone off the store shelf. If you’re willing to put in some legwork to save cash, here’s what you need to know about buying a used cell phone — and seven questions to ask before doing so.
This week on The CultCast: 2017 might bring the super-charged MacBook Pro you’ve been waiting for — yes, another update! Then, a former employee says Tim Cook’s making Apple boring. Is it true? Plus: We get more evidence Apple will be making TV shows and movies; and iPhone 8 may be packing friggin’ lasers and facial recognition.
In case you hadn’t noticed, the United States has a new leader — and President Donald Trump has a bone to pick with Apple. Several, actually.
Will Trump’s “America first” stance and pro-business policies help Apple or give Tim Cook a series of premium headaches? Cult of Mac editors Leander Kahney and Lewis Wallace come out swinging in this week’s edition of “Friday Night Fights.”
A photography app that has become incredibly popular in recent weeks after adding an anime makeover feature has been sending user data back to its developer in China.
Meitu carries out checks to establish if an iOS device is jailbroken and collects information about its carrier before passing it onto Xiamen Meitu Technology. It’s thought the company could be selling the information to marketing agencies for targeted ads.
Foxconn is planning to build a new prototyping facility right alongside Apple’s upcoming research and development center in Shenzhen, China.
The move will “better help Apple create prototypes” of products in the development process, and could mean a lot fewer leaks for curious fans.
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ uncompromising demands and brutal assessments of products in development paint a picture of a CEO who cared little about his colleagues’ feelings.
That’s because he was obsessed with yours.
A report published this week points to this and shows what is arguably the most brilliant and enduring part of his legacy.
Apple is currently weighing up the possibility of building new manufacturing facilities in India. Its decision rests on whether it can strike a deal over perks with the Indian government. Here are some of the things the company is requesting.
BlackRock, a.k.a. the world’s largest asset manager, has just made a massive investment in Apple, according to its latest Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
The firm upped its investment in Apple to a whopping 322 million shares, meaning that now owns the equivalent of 6.1 percent of Apple’s outstanding shares — with a current monetary value of $38.4 billion.
Simply Mac, the GameStop-owned Apple Authorized Reseller, is closing a number of its stores around the United States.
The list of stores affected hasn’t been released as of yet, but outlets in North Carolina, North Dakota, Montana, Texas and Illinois will all be affected.
Donald Trump has been forced to give up his beloved Android smartphone as he steps into the White House.
He has now been issued a “secure, encrypted device approved by the Secret Service,” alongside a new phone number that only a few people will posses.
Netflix makes some darn good drama shows, but it’s the company’s forthcoming documentary series that really has us interested. Called Abstract: The Art of Design, it’s an 8-part series about visionary designers, set to arrive on February 10.
Despite not featuring Apple (at least, based on what we’ve seen in the trailer), it certainly looks the kind of factual programming that would be of interest to Cult of Mac readers.
Check out the trailer below.
In a perfect world, the next Mac Pro would be better, smarter, faster… and also bigger.
At least that’s how Mac fan and brilliant graphic designer Pascal Eggert envisions the long-ignored high-end Apple desktop. Check out his concept designs below.
The U.S. government has always had a hard time getting techies to work for it, but with a little help from Steve Jobs, the White House’s Digital Service team is hoping that will change.
President Barack Obama created the U.S. Digital Service as a “startup” within the White House in 2014 to help improve and expand the government’s online services. The service just launched a new marketing campaign this week that features Jobs giving inspirational advice to people who want to change the world.
See Uncle Steve posthumously recruit government tech workers in the ad below.
Terrified you’re going to lose your awesome new AirPods? Give yourself peace of mind with PodStraps, a $15 shoelace that hangs your AirPods around your neck and prevents them from bouncing around on the floor when they fall out of your ears.
S Voice, Samsung’s answer to Siri, has been a poor excuse for a virtual assistant for the last four years. But the South Korean company is working on a brand new version for the Galaxy S8 — and it will have features that blow its competitors out of the water.
Amazon’s Alexa devices were some of the most exciting tech products of 2016, and immediately there were rumors that Apple was planning to follow suit with a standalone Siri — possibly even with the addition of facial recognition tech.
A new report, however, claims that despite its popularity, Alexa has been a massive money drain on Amazon so far. In 2016 alone, it lost Amazon $330 million, and this figure is set to rise to $600 million-plus this year.
Applying a screen protector to your iPhone might prevent it from getting scratched, but it won’t keep it from shattering. That’s why InvisibleShield protectors are now available with a coverage plan that pays you $100 towards your repair bill if your display gets broken.
Rumors that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 8 will come with wireless charging just took another step forward, thanks to a report claiming the company has added a new manufacturer to its supply chain to help achieve this.
The new supplier is Taiwan-based Lite-On Semiconductor, which will reportedly be providing GPP bridge rectifier components to support wireless charging.
Apple has settled a possible antitrust lawsuit to the satisfaction of European Commission regulators and German Federal Cartel Office, after scrapping an exclusivity deal with the Amazon-owned Audible.
The investigation dates back to November 2015, following complaints from the German Publishers and Booksellers Association.
A court in South Korea has denied a request from special prosecutors to arrest the acting head of Samsung over alleged corruption and bribery charges.
Lee Kun-hee, Samsung’s vice chairman and the only son of its incapacitated chairman, had been accused of using Samsung subsidiaries to make possible bribery-related payments of $36 million as part of a scandal involving the country’s president Park Geun-hye and a confidante.
Hulu has promised it will give subscribers a new live streaming bundle and the ability to download content for offline viewing “in a few months.”
Many of the company’s biggest competitors already offer an offline viewing feature, with Netflix the latest to join the party back in November. Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins assures fans that his team is “working hard” on it.
Apple is expected to launch three new iPad models in various sizes in 2017, but we may have to wait until the second half of the year to get our hands on them.
Sources in Apple’s supply chain have confirmed earlier reports that three new models are coming — but they’re unlikely to arrive this spring as previously anticipated.
Donald Trump sounds confident that Tim Cook will bring Apple manufacturing jobs back to the United States. In a new interview, the president-elect said Cook “loves his country” and has “his eyes open” to building production facilities at home.
In the old days, a piece of string tied around a finger served as a reminder. You just couldn’t forget what the string was for in the first place.
Today, there’s a better way to use your fingers to remember your keys, passport and other personal items with the iOS app Don’t Leave It! Type items into the app you can’t be without and an alert will go off should a certain distance separate you from that particular item.