Newsstand - page 178

We loved that recent Siri ad starring the lovable Muppet, Cookie Monster. And a new video gives us more with some mock behind-the-scenes footage.

In the original spot, Cookie Monster used Siri’s hands-free functionality to set a timer while his delicious cookies baked. And he even asked the digital assistant to play some tunes on Apple Music to help him pass the time. But the new video offers a lot more, including bloopers, outtakes, and what happens when the cookies are done.

Check it out below.

Although Apple’s Swift language might be open source now, the last place you’d expect to see it is on Android. But according to some sources, Google is considering making Swift a “first class” language for the iPhone’s biggest rival.

Best List: Sphear in-ear monitors by Focal

When I think earbuds, I don’t think comfort. They’re light and let you take naps while in, but there’s really only so long I can handle keeping them in my ears.

That’s why this new set of “in-ear monitors,” called Sphear is so exciting — I’ve had them in to watch Netflix on an iPad, gone for a long training run, and just wore them around the house while working and making dinner for my kids.

Every time I put them in, they impress me with their balanced tone and high-quality sound. Most of all, though, I forget I’m wearing them. They’re that comfortable.

Facebook Messenger is more and more becoming my default chat tool as it’s the one app most of my buddies have, either on their laptop or mobile device, regardless of platform.

Thing is, Messenger filters a bunch of messages you’ve received, and I’m willing to bet you didn’t even know they were there.

If you want to find all those hidden Facebook messages, here’s how.

Back in November, I purchased a 12.9-inch iPad Pro and a Smart Keyboard to go with it. I was so used to my Belkin keyboard paired with my iPad Air 2 that I quickly became frustrated with the Smart Keyboard’s lack of a shortcut row. Before long, I returned the Smart Keyboard (and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro).

A few weeks ago, I found myself at the local Apple Store chatting to a sales associate who was demonstrating the SteelSeries Nimbus gaming controller. I had a quick go at the controls only to find myself duly impressed by the way it works as an Apple TV gaming controller.

I was intrigued enough to take another, closer look at this gaming pad to see if it’s worth picking up. Watch the video below to see my SteelSeries Nimbus review.

Sony’s latest PlayStation 4 update has arrived, bringing Remote Play to Mac and PC for the first time.

This awesome feature lets you enjoy your favorite PS4 games while you’re in another room, or even away from home — and it’s super simple to setup. Here’s what you need to do.

Best List: Xtra Drive by Naztech

We’ve all been using flash drives on our Macs for ages, ever since Apple dropped the disk drives from its computer lineup.

iPhones and iPads don’t have a USB port, so it’s hard to use the same external thumb drives on the go.

The new Xtra Drive from Naztech is the best of both worlds, providing a single microSD card-based solution that has both a USB and a Lightning connector that will let me back up and transfer files from my iOS device to any computer.

If you’re running out of local or iCloud storage space on your iPhone (or iPad), it may be time to check how much space the Messages app is taking up. By default, your iPhone or iPad is set to save any messages you send and receive forever. This can result in iPhone “out of storage” messages, slow performance, and slow-loading performance when scrolling through threads.

Unless you really need to save every single message, there’s a quick way to potentially save gigs of space in just a few taps. Here’s how!

Apple really, really wants you to replace your laptop with an iPad — especially if that laptop is powered by Windows. But before that switch can even be considered, the iPad needs to do everything your laptop can and more. That’s where iPad Pro comes in.

With its new A9X chip, it’s the most powerful iPad to date. It does everything your old iPad did, but it does it better. It’s compatible with the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, and now it’s available in a smaller form factor with a 9.7-inch display.

This new model is easier to carry around all day, but it packs almost exactly the same punch as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro — and the same stellar speakers. It has also adopted the incredible 12-megapixel iSight camera from iPhone 6s, with the dual-tone LED flash.

It’s everything you want in a tablet — and more.

Developer Traveller’s Tales’ Lego games series has a long history of making even the crappiest of blockbusters charming and enjoyable. It all started with its very first title, Lego Star Wars — which provided a more entertaining version of the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker than the movies did — and it continues to this day with Lego Jurassic World (out now for iOS after a console and PC debut).

It probably helps that fully three-quarters of Lego Jurassic World‘s content has nothing to do with the latest, dumb film entry but is, in fact, levels re-creating the awesome 1993 original and those other two movies that weren’t quite as good. But because it’s a Lego game, it’s fun, humorous, and clever, even when the source material isn’t.

This week on Cult of Mac’s: Rumors point to an iPhone 7s with a drastic redesign, facial recognition and the return of the glass front and back. Plus: Folks around the world line up for the Tesla Model 3; Apple is making a show about apps hosted by technology expert musician Will.i.am; why the new iPad Pro is not a notebook replacement for the masses; and, in a bizarre plot twist, Apple seeks FBI’s iPhone unlocking secrets.

Our thanks to Freshbooks for supporting this episode. FreshBooks is the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small-business owners get organized, save time invoicing and get paid faster. It also makes tax time a cinch. Get started now with a 30-day free trial.

I forgot how good it feels to hold 4 inches of magic in my hands.

Spending the past year and a half with the luxurious 5.5-inch screen of the iPhone 6 Plus and 6s nearly convinced me that bigger really is better. But after using the iPhone SE, I’m starting to rethink everything I love about iPhone.

The moment I clasped the iPhone SE it was like reconnecting with an ex-lover. Everything is familiar and yet it has somehow improved in nearly every single way. I’ve been re-captivated by its beauty, brains, and brawn all over again, even though on the outside, it looks like such a boring device.

How can an iPhone that looks so old feel so right?

When I purchased a 12.9-inch iPad Pro back in November, I bought an Apple Pencil to go with it. When I decided against the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, I kept my Apple Pencil.

Even though I don’t draw, I found a lot of other ways the Apple Pencil fit into my workflow. And I knew Apple would release a smaller iPad with full support for the Apple Pencil.

That day has come, and I can’t wait to get back to using my Apple Pencil. Here are some of the best Apple Pencil apps that have absolutely nothing to do with sketching or drawing.

For most of us, April Fools’ Day is an abomination. It’s like watching your dad crack terrible jokes at a party. But unlike your dad, some tech companies have perfected the art of the April Fools’ prank and come up with some pretty spectacular ones.

Here are some of the best that have made us LOL today.

Quick — go check and see if you have enough free space on your iPhone.

I’m guessing you’re like the rest of us, and can use a little more — especially if you’ve got a smaller iPhone in the 16 GB range.

If you’re looking to free up some storage space on any size iPhone, here’s a bizarre little trick that just might astound you.

I’ve heard of cigar box guitars, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen an oil can electric ukulele.

Bohemian Guitars makes a ton of unique metal oil can guitars, basses and ukuleles, and they’re as fun to play as they are to look at. This electric uke is easy to play, sounds great through an amp, and is the probably the most unique uke you ever did see.

One of Google’s April Fools’ Day pranks was so unpopular with users that the company was forced to pull it just hours after it rolled out.

The Gmail stunt, which automatically inserted a “mic drop” GIF into users’ emails as they were sent, was greeted by a torrent of complaints and labeled inappropriate.

Over the past 40 years, Apple has been many things to many people. Innovative or imitative, premium or overpriced, saintly or evil — everybody’s got their own take on what Cupertino and its revolutionary products mean.

While Apple was founded on April Fools’ Day in 1976, the company and the profound impact that its shiny devices have made on our lives is truly not a joke. Here’s what Cult of Mac staffers said when asked to describe what the company means to them in a single word.

Apple turns 40 years old today, and what a journey it’s been: from a promising homebrew startup to an underdog fighting off bankruptcy to an industry-straddling behemoth with $233.7 billion in revenue, all thanks to the vision of the co founder of apple.

It’s impossible to boil down every significant Apple event into one story, but we did our best to pick out the 40 most significant moments in the company’s past.

Check out these key moments in Apple history below.

In case you didn’t know, Apple turns 40 today. To celebrate, the company is giving a wink to longtime fans with a cheeky nod to its past.

A pirate flag flying outside Apple’s campus at 1 Infinite Loop is a reference to the “Jolly Roger” pirate flag flown by the original Macintosh team when it was developing Apple’s (arguably) most iconic computer back in the heady days of the early ’80s.

The new, powerful iPad Pro is available at Apple Stores today and we’ve got a fantastic iPad Pro unboxing video to show you all the ins and outs of the new tablet.

Cult of Mac videographer Ste Smith talks us through the packaging, the setup and the latest-greatest device itself in this cool iPad Pro unboxing video that he made right after picking up the 9.7-inch tablet from his local Apple Store.

If you want to get your (virtual) hands on this sexy new iOS device, here’s your chance.

I’ve been spending the past week or so doing some app spring cleaning on my iPad, partially in preparation for the arrival of my new 9.7” iPad Pro on Thursday. During the process I realized that I have way too many document editing apps — half of which I have either never launched, or they didn’t do something I needed so I never used them again.

That’s why I took the opportunity to really cut down. Here are the document management apps that made the cut, and why:

iPhone users suffering from crashing woes on iOS 9.3 are finally getting some relief. Apple has released iOS 9.3.1 to the public, bringing new bug fixes and performance improvements for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

The update comes more than a week after the release of iOS 9.3, which turned hyperlinks into crash bombs for some users.

The iPhone SE finally arrived on my doorstep this morning, and I couldn’t wait to get Apple’s new 4-inch iPhone out of the box.

Get our first impressions of the tiny dynamo in Cult of Mac‘s iPhone SE unboxing video below.