LG confirms Dolby Atmos coming to its TVs via Apple TV app and AirPlay. Photo: LG
TV maker LG has confirmed it will add Dolby Atmos support to 2018, 2019 and newer 2020 models of selected televisions this year for both the Apple TV app and AirPlay 2.
In a published report Thursday, a company representative told FlatpanelsHD that support for Dolby Atmos will be delivered “later this year.”
Apple TV is due for an upgrade. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
An updated Apple TV 4K could soon roll out of Apple’s product pipeline, based on references to an unreleased product discovered in the latest iOS beta.
9to5Mac unearthed clues in iOS 13.4 beta 1 that signal a new Apple TV 4K is currently in development. Considering the company hasn’t released new Apple TV hardware since fall 2017, the wait for a new set-top box may not be much longer.
Brady Ogle loves his Apple Watch for many reasons. Photo: Brady Ogle
Brady Ogle knew something was wrong with his body. It took the Apple Watch to confirm it.
24 hours after New Year’s Day, Ogle reported for work like any other workday at an AT&T store in Granbury, Texas, just south of Dallas. For the preceding three months, the 30-year-old hadn’t been feeling well. He visited his doctor but was told he might be suffering from a mild case of indigestion and to simply manage it from home with a proper diet.
Still, his symptoms kept preying on his mind. Something was wrong. He could feel it.
Peek-a-View lets you limit a photo album to be view-only. Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
If you’ve ever found yourself showing other people pictures on your phone, you’ve probably also been trying to micromanage what they can and can’t see. And, if you’re a parent of a young kid, it’s likely that you’ve let your child look through a photo album on your device. In that case, you’ve certainly been worried about their ability to delete or accidentally modify an image.
There are ways to limit what a person — or child — can or can’t get to on your device through the Guided Access settings in iOS. But nothing is as simple as using a new iOS app called Peek-a-View to lock down your photos.
A concept design for an Apple Watch app designed to communicate with a Tesla. Photo: Eleks Labs
Apple reportedly added code to iPhone and Apple Watch to let these devices function as car keys, giving users one less thing to constantly carry around.
The company began work on such a feature years ago, and supposedly how has finally reached the point where it’s building the feature into iOS and watchOS.
Universal Purchases are coming soon to iOS and Mac apps. Photo: Apple
Apple is laying the groundwork to make it easier for developers to distribute their apps across all of Apple’s platforms.
Included in Wednesday’s big batch of beta updates, Apple introduced a new option in Xcode 11.4 beta 1 for developers to build and test apps using a single bundle ID. Starting in March, iPhone users will be able to download an app via the iOS App Store and then (if the developer supports it) download it on other Apple platforms with ease.
This simple change might seem like an obvious added convenience for users, but it also sets up the App Store for some colossal changes over the next few years. It will force Apple developers to make some big decisions about their businesses.
There’s nothing a Mac nerd likes more than using keyboard shortcuts. Actually, there’s one thing — telling people about Mac keyboard shortcuts. Either way, you’re going to love this tip, which lets you access the menu bar menus of any and all Mac apps, using just the keyboard.
Hit the magic key combo, and you can quickly type to find any menu command by name.
Mistake or not, it's obvious upgraded Samsung Galaxy Buds+ will soon be a reality. Photo: Cult of Mac
A mistake announced too soon or not, an iOS app for the expected new version of Samsung’s wireless earbuds was released on the Apple App Store Tuesday, seven days before the products expected announcement.
HonHai/Foxconn to quarantine some workers at its main iPhone production plant for 14 days. Photo: Apple
iPhone manufacturer HonHai/Foxconn Technology Group plans to re-open its main factory in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou on February 10, but quarantine its returning workers for 14 days in an abundance of caution as the number of cases of the coronavirus grows.
I live in Germany, and even though my German is fine, I often get beaten by notices and signs. In my native England, signs and notices are snappy. They use few words, and often annoying slogans, to get the point across. In Germany, an A4 (legal-size) sheet of paper with densely spaced type is the norm. And that’s just from neighbors complaining about people leaving their strollers on the wrong side of the entrance hall.
So, I decided to do something about it. I wrote a Siri Shortcut that scans one of these German essays using the iPhone’s camera, translates it, and shows it to you. There are apps that can do something similar, but my shortcut is way better, for several reasons.
On the Mac, hot corners are essential — and amazingly useful. You can put your display to sleep, trigger Mission Control and more, just by flicking the mouse to a screen corner. If you’re one of those people who likes to use a mouse with your iPad, you can utilize these same flick-to-activate gestures on the tablet. And there’s a bonus: Hot corners on the iPad are way, way more powerful than on the Mac.
The IOGear Share Pro takes the place of a huge HDMI cable, and plugs right into your MacBook. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Wirelessly connecting a MacBook to a TV is a snap with the IOGear Share Pro. It uses the computer’s USB-C port to stream video to a screen up to 60 feet away, no wires needed.
I fully tested this accessory. Dive in to see how it preforms in regular use.
As a keyboard, the Smart Keyboard Folio makes a great stand. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
I picked up the Smart Folio Keyboard for my iPad Pro a few weeks back, because I was traveling and needed to do some work on the go. I’ve avoided the expensive accessory in the past, because a regular Bluetooth keyboard is so much better — on paper anyway. Even the most basic Bluetooth keyboard offers far more essential features than Apple’s own keyboard case. But after trying the Apple keyboard, I like it a lot. The keys themselves are still awful, but the convenience factor is off the charts.
The only way is up. Are your Activity Trends pointing in the right direction? Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac
Apple Watch has always tracked your daily physical activity with its three iconic Activity rings. That’s great if you just want to focus on hitting your daily goals. But what if you want to see your progress over time?
iOS 13 solves this with Activity Trends, an all-new tab you’ll find in the Activity app on your iPhone. It provides an indispensable snapshot of how you’ve been doing. Trouble is, it takes 90 days to collect all your trend data. Which means if you checked when you first upgraded to iOS 13, there probably wasn’t much to see.
The good news is that it’s now well over 90 days since Apple released iOS 13. So your Apple Watch Activity Trends should finally be visible. Here’s how to make sense of them.
It's old and battered, but it still works. Even upside-down. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
If you have a low desk, or you just hate bending your wrists back, then you might consider turning your Magic Trackpad upside down, and using it with the lower end of its wedge away from you. With the trackpad upside-down, its slope will better watch your hand’s natural shape and position.
But flipping the trackpad also flips the direction of the mouse pointer, right? Up is down, down is up, and left and right don’t know where they are any more. Wrong! If you have an older Mac, you can just type a command into the Terminal to allow automatic orientation detection. And on newer Macs — from Sierra onward, I believe — there’s an equally easy trick.
Piñatex makes beautifully brilliant Apple Watch bands. Photo: Mezando
Get fruity with one of Mezando’s magnificent Apple Watch bands. Made from pineapple leaves, they’re super-sustainable and available in a range of styles and color options.
They offer all the charm and durability of a leather strap, but without the obvious drawbacks.
Improving on its coverage from two years ago, Apple News is doubling up efforts for the 2020 elections. Photo: Apple
Apple News debuted Monday it’s 2020 presidential election coverage and announced plans for various live-stream video coverage of the presidential race beginning with the next Democratic debate in New Hampshire on February 7.
Apple currently operates 42 retail stores across mainland China. Photo: Apple
Apple will close all its offices, 42 retail stores and contact centers across the Chinese mainland through February 9 as the outbreak of the new coronavirus has sickened more than 14,500 and killed more than 300 people.
It was great while it lasted! Photo: Unofficial Apple Archive
Apple took a proverbial sledgehammer to the Unofficial Apple Archive, an online collection of more than 15,000 classic Apple ads and assorted other materials, last weekend. Cupertino’s legal team issued a slew of takedown notices to Vimeo and the Unofficial Apple Archive’s host provider, Squarespace, resulting in thousands of vintage Apple ads vanishing in the blink of an eye.
While I understand the reason for the takedowns, I really, really wish Apple hadn’t tried to wipe the ads off the internet. Fortunately, Apple could set things straight — by embracing both its past and its most ardent fans.
Secret Oops! puts its virtual 3D game board in your living room. Screenshot: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Mix a bumbling spy, a secret base, and a lot of augmented reality and you’ll get Secret Oops!, the latest addition to Apple Arcade. This innovative children’s game from MixedBag shows a virtual 3D game board in the real world through the magic of AR.
I explored the possibilities of Secret Oops!; read on to see what I found.
Clicking can be a drag. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
I prefer the Mac’s trackpad to a mouse in every way but one. It’s more comfortable, it relieves RSI, it can be used equally easily by the left or right hand, and it does scrolling and multitouch. But the one thing it’s terrible at is actually clicking. Specifically, clicking and dragging to move a window, or to make a selection. And I’m still using the original Magic Trackpad, the one that runs on AA batteries. It has physical switches in its feet, so clicking is a lot harder at its top edge.
Enter the three-finger drag. This Mac accessibility setting lets you tap with three fingers to simulate a click and drag. And it does a lot more than just making it easier to move windows around the screen.
Super Bowl 54 is on multiple platforms through streaming Apple TV devices, even in 4K. Logo: NFL
Super Bowl LIV (or 54, if you don’t prefer Roman numerals) will take place Sunday in a matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.
For Apple TV users, there are lots of ways to watch, for free and not so free. Here’s your complete guide.
These Alaskan jellyfish look good on Apple TV. Photo: Apple
Apple today rolled out 11 new screensavers for Apple TV. All have an underwater theme, showcasing marine life in oceans around the world. The update takes the total number of scenes to more than 80.
You’ll find iPhone cases and screen protectors, Apple Watch charging stands, and portable battery packs all reduced to some of their lowest prices to date. Prices start at just $7.95!
But be quick — this sale must end tomorrow, January 31.
BlackHole is a free, open-source tool to route audio anywhere on your Mac. You know how the audio from YouTube in Safari comes out the speakers or headphones of your Mac, and that’s about it? Well, with BlackHole, you can intercept that audio. Then you can record it, redirect it to another app or do basically anything you like.