Apple plans to release something on December 8. Could be a Christmas Surprise. Photo: Jennifer Hubacher/Pexels CC
Apple reportedly warned authorized service providers that new products are coming the morning of Tuesday, December 8. Among the possibilities are AirPods over-the-ear headphones and AirTags item-tracking tags. Or new Apple TV hardware.
Do “certified freak, seven days a week” or “Pour up the whole damn seal, I’ma get lazy” mean anything to you?
If you’re anything like other Apple Music listeners around the world, they certainly do. That’s because they’re from Cardi B’s “WAP” and Roddy Ricch’s “The Box,” two of the songs atop the newly released “Most-Read Lyrics of 2020” list on Apple’s streaming music service. And there’s more data where that came from!
iOS 14 is still only a couple of months old for most users, but inside Apple designers and engineers will already be planning what next year’s upgrade will offer.
While we likely won’t get to see what they’re working on until WWDC 2021, Kevin Kal, a talented 20-year-old designer and engineering student in France, has created one of the first concepts we’ve seen for iOS 15.
Even with a workaround, Macs with Apple Silicon have good performance running Windows 10 for Arm. Photo: Cult of Mac
New tests show relatively speedy performance for a Mac mini with an ARM-based Apple M1 processor running the ARM version of Windows 10. Even though the OS is running as a virtual machine, benchmarks show the device can handle X86 applications far faster than the Microsoft Surface Pro X, which also uses an ARM chip.
Make sharing a Mac a little easier. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
If you share a Mac with others and are frequently switching between user accounts, you’ll be pleased to know you can do that quicker than ever in macOS Big Sur, thanks to a new feature called fast user switching.
You’ll need to set it up yourself because Apple doesn’t enable it by default, but it’s super-simple to do. We’ll show you how.
For the first time, Apple created a physical award to hand out to winners. Photo: Apple
As 2020 thankfully sputters to its conclusion, Apple has released its list of the year’s best 15 apps and games “notable for their positive cultural impact, helpfulness, and importance.”
The App Store Best of 2020 winners cover a multitude of areas — from the Zoom app that more or less defined the year of lockdown to streaming service Disney+ to a nifty sleep app.
These are some of Apple’s choices for best book or podcast of 2020. Graphic: Cult of Mac
With the year winding down, Apple picked its favorite podcasts, books and audiobooks of 2020. The offerings “kept us entertained, made us think, provided a much-needed escape, or filled our hearts up,“ noted Apple.
All the recommendations are, of course, available through Apple Podcasts or Apple Books.
Here’s how to get your Apple Watch ready for your new iPhone. Photo: Cult of Mac
You just got a shiny new iPhone 12 and of course you want your Apple Watch to play nicely with it. You could reset the Watch to start out fresh, but there’s an easier way switch your Apple Watch to your new iPhone.
Think twice about playing iOS games on an M1 Mac. Photo: Activision
New M1 Macs let users run iPhone and iPad apps natively for the first time, but gamers should think twice about loading up Call of Duty: Mobile. Playing Activision’s popular shooter on one of the super-fast new computers could get them banned.
A developer with decades of experience porting Linux to game consoles wants to make a Linux M1 Mac. Photo: Cult of Mac
Hector Martin (aka marcan) wants to port a full, useful version of the Linux operating system to the new Macs running Apple Silicon, but he needs help.
He’s got the skills for it — he put Linux on a PlayStation 4, for example. But the developer wants assistance from the public bringing the operating system to Macs running the new M1 processor. Not technical help, but financial contributions.
RAVpower’s USB-C wall charger and cable is just right for the iPhone 12. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
RAVpower PD 30W USB-C Charger with Lightning Cable can be the wall charger that iPhone 12 users need. It includes USB-C and USB-A ports, and fold-down electrical prongs. And it juices up iOS handsets as fast as possible — far quicker than Apple’s old 5W chargers. Plus, it even comes with a charging cable for use with older iPhones.
Read on for the results of my real-world testing of the wall charger and cable combo.
Bring an unresponsive HomePod back to life. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Many of the glitches and frustrations you might encounter with HomePod and HomePod mini can usually be fixed with a simple factory reset. It’s easy to do and doesn’t take long, but Apple doesn’t make it immediately obvious how a reset is performed. So we’ll show you what you need to do.
It's not quite the same as it was in iOS 13. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Apple did away with the Clock app’s scroll wheel for setting alarms in iOS 14, swapping it for a numeric keypad instead. But the scroll wheel isn’t dead yet … if you know where to find it.
Don't miss your chance to enjoy these big discounts. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
The Cult of Mac Store’s biggest ever sale is coming to an end, but there’s still time to save on the hottest accessories from some of the biggest brands this Cyber Monday.
You’ll find cases, sleeves, bands, stands, and more from the likes of Twelve South, Elago, and Casetify at up to 72% off the usual price. And we’ll even throw in free standard shipping when you spend over $75.
Don’t miss out! Check out all the items on offer today and bag yourself a bargain.
The HiRise Wireless matches the iPhone design perfectly. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The HiRise Wireless manages a rare feat: it’s both useful and attractive. This charger holds your iPhone up at an angle where the screen can be easily seen. And a removable core allows this accessory to be used while traveling. Just as importantly, the base unit would look at home on any CEO’s desk.
Find out if this is the wireless charger you’ve been looking for in our hands-on review — and bag yours for 20% less in the Cult of Mac Store’s Black Friday sale.
With iOS 14, my iPhone home screen is primarily a place to put widgets. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
After a decade with an iPhone, I didn’t expect anything could come along to transform the way I use my phone. iOS 14 widgets proved me wrong. They have me interacting with the handset in a way I never have before.
Whip through your holiday shopping with these sub-$150 gifts. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
It’s that time of year again — post turkey-carving and game-watching, it’s time to start thinking about holiday gifts. Take the guesswork (and stress) out of what presents you’ll be giving to your family and friends this year for the holidays.
We rounded up the top 11 gifts under $150, conveniently wrapped up in one list for you, so you can take care of everyone on your list, from your next-door neighbor to your mom. And, you can rest assured you’re getting the best deal possible. For a limited time, enjoy an extra 20% off for Black Friday pricing site-wide using code BFSAVE20.
The two HDMI ports are among the best features of the Aukey 9-in-2 USB-C Hub. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Aukey 9-in-2 USB-C Hub (CB-C81) lets you add a pair of 4K HDMI screens to your MacBook. But that’s just the start because it packs in nine ports, despite a relatively small size. It offers a pair of USB-A ports, SD/microSD card readers, Ethernet and more.
After real-world testing, here’s how this multiport adapter stands up.
But not all models? Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Apple’s next-generation iPad Pro could bring 5G with super-fast mmWave support, according to a new report. The new slates, which are expected to launch in 2021, may use Apple’s own 5G modem.
The sum of iPhone 12 Pro parts cost is less than half the price of the product. Photo: Cult of Mac
The iPhone 12 Pro starts at $999, but the components for this high-end smartphone cost less than half the selling price. Market researchers disassembled Apple’s latest top-tier handset to ascertain its parts cost.
And they figured out that only a tiny percentage of the device is actually made is China.
New iPads with mini-LED displays could come even sooner. Photo: Adel Neal/Cult of Mac
Apple will introduce a redesigned Apple Watch and MacBook lineup in late 2021, according to one reliable analyst.
Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities expects Apple’s next-generation wearable to bring “innovative health management functions.” He also told investors iPhone 12 is off to a strong start.
A new site shows all the apps that ready for the new Macs running the Apple M1 processor. Photo: IsAppleSiliconReady
A new website could become the go-to guide to which applications are compatible with Macs running on Apple Silicon chips.
IsAppleSiliconReady.com lists apps that have been ported to run on Apple’s new M1 processor. It also tells if apps are compatible with Rosetta 2, the macOS Big Sur feature that allows the M1 Macs to run software compiled for Intel chips.
Apple officially supports up to two. Photo: Ruslan Tulupov
A newly discovered M1 Mac trick lets you use up to six external displays simultaneously. It is simple to set up, and a YouTube video by an M1 Mac owner suggests performance is decent.
Apple's new M1 chip makes this ultraportable laptop ultra-fantastic. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
I just opened more than 650 tabs in Safari on a new M1 MacBook Air. I would have opened more, but I got bored.
Meanwhile, in the background, the machine is downloading Photoshop and the Microsoft 360 suite, and I can see in Activity Monitor that it’s processing thousands of iCloud photos while also indexing the hard drive.
Despite this, the machine is as fleet as a greyhound. I started working on a Photoshop project while checking email, keeping an eye on TweetDeck and, of course, clicking around all those open Safari tabs. The MacBook Air is just humming. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Mini-LED displays could be a temporary stepping stone. Photo: Apple
Apple will debut its first iPad Pro with an OLED display during the second half of 2021, according to a new report.
The screens are expected to be manufactured by Samsung, which is said to be renovating one of its production lines specifically for OLED iPad displays. LG will also be involved in production.