A redesigned iMac, a more affordable HomePod, and a powerful new Apple TV are just some of the products Apple has planned for 2020, according to one reliable reporter.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also revealed expectations for the 5G iPhone lineup, scheduled to launch this fall, and for a 14-inch MacBook Pro during a Twitter Q&A with followers on Tuesday.
The iPhone SE, with its iPhone 8 form factor, proves that you can teach an old dog new tricks. With the first reviews for the new handset having hit the internet, pundits are in agreement that, well, the iPhone SE is pretty darn great.
In fact, if Apple’s made any kind of misstep it may have been showing us that you can get a pretty amazing iPhone for the price of a mid-level handset. Here’s what the initial reviewers are saying:
Zoom calls have exploded during the current coronavirus lockdown. But if you’ve already exhausted the possibilities of different angles and backdrops for your video calls, why not try being a different person entirely? You know, like former Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs.
At least, that’s the tech demo/experiment created by coders Ali Aliev and Karim Iskakov. They’ve developed an Animoji or Memoji-style tool called Avatarify that lets users superimpose a real-time mask onto themselves during video calls.
Overbridge 2 is an amazing new app/plugin from Swedish drum machine and synthesizer maker Elektron. As its name suggests, it acts as a bridge between your computer and Elektron’s hardware boxes.
Using Overbridge, you can plug in, say, the Digitakt drum computer and sampler, and stream all eight of its audio tracks to your Mac or PC over a single USB cable.
Got Bluetooth problems like a glitchy mouse or an unreliable keyboard? Maybe a screwy trackpad or poor headphone connection? Any of those problems could result from a glitch in your Mac’s Bluetooth radio. Maybe you’ve already tried everything — unpairing your devices, resetting them or even creating a pristine new user account on your Mac solely for troubleshooting purposes. If you’re stuck in a situation where your mouse isn’t working, here’s a guide on how to turn Bluetooth on Mac without mouse.
You may even know about the hidden Bluetooth menu that appears when you option-click on the Bluetooth menu bar icon. But did you know that there’s another, deeper, super-hidden menu with extra troubleshooting tools? There is. Here’s how to fix Bluetooth problems when nothing else seems to work.
Are you the tech-support person for your family and friends? Are you the go-to nerd for fixing up iPhones, Macs and maybe even TVs 1? These days, you can’t just pay a visit to your parents to sort things out, so you’ll have to do it remotely. And if you’re all using Macs, that means screen sharing. You can do this very easily via iMessage — it’s as simple as starting a FaceTime call.
But what if your friend/parent/sibling in need doesn’t use iMessage? Don’t worry — all you need is their Apple ID.
Abode Iota is a do-it-yourself security system that’s one of the very few with support for Apple’s HomeKit home-automation platform. That means it’s a breeze to control from your iPhone. It includes a camera, motion detector and windows/door sensor. Additional sensors can be added.
I installed the Iota Starter Kit and have extensively tested it. Read on to see whether it’s the right solution to secure your home or business.
If you’re looking for some situation-appropriate fiction to read during the COVID-19 lockdown, then what could be better than a good old post-apocalyptic novel?
Some people will want to avoid all mention of pandemics and other worldwide disasters. But if your idea of catharsis comes through mental inoculation, then you should check out this list. I’ve read a ton of dystopian fiction over the years, and below are some of my favorites. A few are from recent years, and one is a bona fide classic, but all of them are great.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ve probably become hyper-aware of how much you touch everything. Your face, your iPhone, the AirPods you never clean, the filthy handle on your apartment building’s front door, etc. If you’re using your iPhone’s Reminders app to manage your iPhone shopping list, you’re likely finding yourself constantly tapping the screen and relying on Face ID to wake it up during trips to the store.
Clearly that’s useless if you’re being responsible and wearing a mask in the supermarket. Today we’ll see how to quickly toggle a “shopping mode” in the Drafts app, which will keep your iPhone awake while you dash down the aisles.
Home, the new Apple TV+ docuseries about unconventional structures designed by unorthodox architects, is — surprise, surprise — as much a mixed a bag as anything else on the streaming service.
The nine-episode series, available to watch Friday, provides a window into homes and the ethos, hardship and breakthroughs that lead to their creation. It would be an understatement to say that some episodes prove more interesting than others.
Want a glimpse at the (possible) new iPhone 12 Pro Max? YouTube channel EverythingApplePro and Max Weinbach have posted what they claim is a leaked design for the new handset, based on supposed CAD drawings.
As expected, they suggest that the new iPhone will borrow design cues from the squared-off, boxier iPad Pro redesign. It also looks set to sport a slightly thinner profile, just 7.4mm thick next to the 8.1mm of the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Oh, and notch-haters might be pleased by the smaller notch on the device.
Check out the video below.
Apple wants users of older iPhone models to know the advantages of a new budget iPhone. Its “iPhone SE — Why Upgrade” page describes the multiple ways this just-announced handset is faster, with a longer battery life, a better camera and other improvements.
Unlike streaming music, which often keeps playing when you switch away from the app or webpage, YouTube playback stops as soon as you leave mobile Safari. This means that using YouTube as a music player is out of the question. Or is it? Can you make YouTube play just the audio, even when you’re not showing the video? You can, and it’s really, really simple.
Apple’s new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro — the one with the built-in trackpad — looks amazing. But it costs $350. That’s very pricey for a keyboard. Plus, it’s a keyboard that will only be useful for as long as it can attach to your iPad Pro. That means it might not fit your next tablet if Apple tweaks the iPad Pro design.
Compare that to a USB or Bluetooth keyboard, which will remain compatible with every computer that gets made in the foreseeable future. Toady we’ll see how to share your Mac’s keyboard and mouse or trackpad with your iPad. We’ll also learn how to instantly switch between the two, both with USB and Bluetooth.
No, it’s not as portable as the new Magic Keyboard case, but it’s less messy on your desk. And you will likely have a better keyboard, and a better trackpad.
This week on The CultCast: iPhone SE 2 is finally here, and the amount of tech packed into this $400 phone is truly remarkable. We’ll tell you everything you need to know. Plus, a new report outlines Apple’s plans for iPhone 12 with 5G, a new mini (and possibly portable) HomePod, and the AirPower mat, resurrected!
Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.
Even people who never realized Apple Watch’s awesome motivational power are standing up and testifying: The device helps get your butt up off the couch during the coronavirus quarantine.
“It’s fantastic that a gadget was the thing I needed to get myself in shape again,” said Sune Holt, an Apple Watch wearer from Denmark. “In November, I feared I wasted my money. Now it’s the best investment in a lifetime.”
The iPhone 12 may be proceeding as scheduled, but not every Apple product in development is proceeding in a timely manner. According to a new research note from Hong Kong analyst Jeff Pu, sent Thursday, the forthcoming Mini LED iPad could be pushed back to early 2021.
A previous rumor suggested it would arrive later this year. Pu doesn’t give any explanation for the delay in his note, which was seen by Cult of Mac. However, it could relate to the continued disruption in Apple’s supply chain, which is only now starting to get back on track following the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in China.
Apple will deliver its new over-ear headphones, with interchangeable ear pads and other parts, “later this year,” claims a Thursday report from Bloomberg.
The company is said to be working on at least two variations of the product, including one “premium version” and another focused on fitness with a lighter design. Like AirPods Pro, they will be wireless with active noise-cancellation.
The 2020 iPhone SE costs just $399. That makes it one of the cheapest iOS handsets ever, equaled only by the original model. But to get this price, Apple had to make some compromises. It’s important to be aware of what they are.
Talk about good timing. Apple unleashed its new budget-priced iPhone SE successor Wednesday, smack in the middle of a worldwide health crisis that’s wreaking havoc on health care, economies and behavioral norms.
With flagship-level specs packed into a familiar design — and priced at just $399 — the 2020 iPhone SE is the perfect iPhone for the current pandemic. It delivers tons of features we can all use during this rotten time, with a price tag that’s totally appropriate.
Service Station is the Mac app I didn’t know I was waiting for. It lets you customize the Finder’s right-click contextual menu to put essential functions just a click away. It’s also from the Mac App Store, and uses the official Finder Extension framework, so you don’t need to worry about running some weird hack on your machine.
Unfortunately, it only runs on macOS 10.14.4 or later, so I can’t use it on my old iMac. (That’s a sad-face emoji right there.)
One of the disadvantages of smaller iPads’ software keyboard is the lack of a numbers row. The 13-inch iPad displays a full keyboard with a numbers row and separate Caps Lock and Tab keys. But to type numbers on smaller iPads — the 10.5- and 11-inch models, and the mini — you first hit the symbol/number shift key to convert the top row of letter into numbers.
It’s a minor inconvenience, but if you do a lot of number entry on your iPad, then it becomes a major usability problem. The good news is that there’s an excellent workaround: keyboard flicks.
A serious photographer happily pays more money for the beefed-up camera specs we’ve come to expect from a flagship iPhone.
But Apple on Wednesday gave iPhone fans a camera spec list once reserved for its more expensive flagship handsets at a thrifty $399.
The 2020 iPhone SE is out and, as expected, it looks a whole lot like the iPhone 8 in terms of design. But beneath the recognizable exterior of Apple’s handsome new handset are some nifty new features and internals.
Is it worth the upgrade if you’ve been clinging onto a several-years old iPhone? Here’s our initial (as far as spec details will allow) comparison.
Apple on Wednesday unveiled its long-awaited iPhone SE refresh for 2020. The latest model packs new technologies, including an A13 Bionic chip, into a form factor that’s familiar to any iPhone fan.
The new iPhone SE also offers up to 256GB of storage, Touch ID, and wireless charging. You can order yours from Friday, April 17, starting at $399. It makes its official debut on Friday, April 24.