A statement on Apple’s stance toward privacy is baked into iOS. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) published a draft privacy bill this morning that proposes making it harder for companies to track people’s location or collect biometric information about them.
Apple is a top donor to the CDT, and the company has taken a strong stance on protecting user’s privacy.
The iPad is more than capable of recording podcasts. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
The iPad Pro is pro enough for almost anything, but one thing it still can’t manage is making a Skype (or FaceTime) call and recording it at the same time. This is actually the fault of Skype (and FaceTime), but is nonetheless a pain for anyone who travels and podcasts.
There’s a workaround, however. It requires that you use an iPhone and an iPad together. But seeing as how the alternative is carrying a MacBook, too, it’s a pretty good option. It’s also easy, once you get your head around the setup. And you don’t need to travel to use this setup. After some experimentation, this is now my default podcasting method.
Shopping for an Apple fan? Start here! Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Buying for an Apple fan who already has the latest products and accessories doesn’t have to be difficult. There are a ton of great gifts out there, like beautiful books showcasing Apple design, cool cushions that carry familiar Apple logos and slogans, and more.
In this gift guide, we’ve hand-picked a bunch of awesome products that would make any Apple fan insanely happy this holiday season. They’re products we’ve used, reviewed, and would recommend ourselves — and there’s something to suit every budget.
Jennifer Garner as Sydney Bristow in the show Alias Photo: ABC
Jennifer Garner and J.J. Abrams are finally getting back together to create an all-new TV show.
The duo rose to stardom in the early 2000s with Abram’s TV show Alias that starred Garner as a double agent for the Central Intelligence Agency. Now they’re set to make a TV show for Apple, only it won’t be quite as action-packed as their last endeavor together.
Two new iPhone SE models for 2020? Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac
If you’re going to become the proud owner of a brand new Apple device over the holidays, it’s time to start thinking about what you should do with your old ones. Don’t let them sit around, collecting dust.
Your old iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac could be worth a small fortune — and Cult of Mac wants to buy it! We typically pay more than other trade-in services, and we won’t leave you waiting ages for your cash.
Spike Jonze created Apple's most celebrated ad of 2018. Photo: Apple
Apple marketing set an even higher bar in the advertising industry this year and is closing out 2018 with three commercials in Adweek’s Top 25 Best Ads of the Year.
Adweek listed “Welcome Home,” Apple’s HomePod ad directed by Spike Jonze, as second-best. Nike’s “Believe in Something. Even If it Means Sacrificing Everything” was the top ad, featuring polarizing quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
PDFs are an increasingly common way to share documents of all kinds. From resumes to photo albums or even entire e-books, PDFs are as universally recognized as Word documents are. But unfortunately, unlike standard text documents, they are not easy to edit. To really fine-tune your PDFs, you’ll need to use the right PDF-editing software.
Apple has been battling Qualcomm since early last year. Photo: Qualcomm
Certain iPhone models have been barred for sale in China, but a similar ban in the U.S. isn’t totally out of the question. The U.S. International Trade Commission has said that it plans to review a previous ruling stating that a ban on iPhone imports was not in the interests of the general public — even in the event that Apple infringed on a Qualcomm patent.
Your little ones can start using Tynker from as young as 4. Photo: Tynker
The ability to code is becoming an increasingly important skill, and the sooner you start learning, the better. That’s why you should introduce your little ones to Tynker Junior, the app that teaches them the fundamentals of coding from as young as four.
Inspired by the award-winning Tynker programming language, which has been used by over 60 million kids worldwide, the new iPad app uses puzzles and games to make learning fun and easy.
Get a comprehensive education in one of the most widely used software platforms, Microsoft Office. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
There aren’t many applications more widely used than Microsoft Office. No matter where you work, you’ll encounter Office, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and the rest. So no matter where you work, it’s worth getting certified in MS Office suite.
Apple Music is big, but is it big enough? Photo: Apple
iPhone sales may be slowing down, but investors have held onto promising data points like Apple’s impressively growing Services division. According to some, this burgeoning part of Apple’s business even has the potential to make up 40 percent of the company’s gross profits by fiscal 2020.
Macquarie Research analyst Benjamin Schachter isn’t quite so smitten, however. In a new note to clients, Schachter claims that growth in the Services division is about to start slowing down.
Pokémon Go has finally added Trainer Battles, giving players the opportunity to fight against their friends.
Developer Niantic first made battles available to level 40 players, but they are now accessible to those as low as level 10. Here’s everything you need to know about battling your friends.
Apple will open a new 133-acre campus in Austin, Texas — approximately 1,500 miles from its Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino.
The $1 billion headquarters will initially house 5,000 employees, although this number will eventually expand to 15,000 people. Apple also plans new sites in Seattle, San Diego, and Culver City, California.
Would you like a smaller iPhone? Photo: Dongjae "Krystofer" Kim
It’s been an unmistakable trend for the past five years: iPhones are getting physically larger. Given the popularity of “phablets,” that makes perfect sense — but it’s not for everyone.
One of those people is designer Dongjae “Krystofer” Kim. Kim recently put together a concept design for what a mini version of the current iPhones might look like. And it’s actually pretty darn neat. Check it out below.
Fortnite was a major player on iPhone this year. Photo: Epic Games
It looks like my Cult of Mac colleague Killian’s endless hours spent feverishly Googling the word “Fortnite” like a battle royale-loving version of The Shining‘s Jack Torrance have paid off.
That’s because Google has released its annual “Year in Search” results, and it seems that the ultra popular Fortnite game is one of the year’s most sought-after topics.
Create animations using Photoshop, After Effects, and Illustrator Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Incredibles 2, Hotel Transylvania 3 and The Grinch are three of the top-15-grossing movies for all of 2018. And with its stellar reviews and big word-of-mouth buzz, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse may be joining that list before year’s end.
It’s no news flash to anyone anymore. There are huge opportunities, as well as huge dollars, in creating animation and animated features. While you’re probably not going to roll out of bed and create the next Pixar masterpiece tomorrow, your journey to an artistically and financially fulfilling career as an animator can get started today with The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Animation Bundle. And it’s heavily discounted right now!
Add mobile credits in less than a minute. Photo: MobileRecharge
This post is presented by MobileRecharge.
If you travel frequently or you’ve got family abroad, there’s a good chance you use pay-as-you-go mobile accounts to stay in touch. As if regular phone bills weren’t enough of a hassle, international charges can be a real headache.
Not with MobileRecharge, a company that offers an easy way to top up mobile credit in less than a minute. Founded in 2012, MobileRecharge now serves more than 140 countries and works with some 300 mobile carriers.
Luna Display gives you a touchscreen Mac. Photo: Luna Display
Even the most committed iPad user still needs a Mac occasionally. You might need to add music to your iTunes music library, or get files off an SD card, or use BitTorrent, or keep local backups of your photo library. Or you might just like using a Mac, but you don’t want a huge iMac, and what’s the point in buying a MacBook if you have an iPad already?
The obvious choice is a Mac mini. And with this tip, you can use your iPad Pro as a display for the Mac. That means you won’t need an extra monitor, but it also means that you can quickly turn your iPad into a Mac when you need to.
Apple's new head of casting, Tamara Hunter. Photo: The Headshot Truck LLC
Apple’s TV team just hired seasoned Hollywood executive to lead its casting efforts for its many TV shows currently in development. Tamara Hunter, the vice president of casting at Sony Pictures Entertainment, is reportedly leaving her post to join Apple as the head of casting.
This could be the next Atlanta Apple Store. Photo: Schroeder Architects
The Apple Store in Atlanta’s Lenox Mall is apparently getting a big upgrade.
An illustration of a new store coming to this high-end mall has surfaced, and while it doesn’t yet have an Apple logo, the company’s familiar design is very much in evidence.
iCareFone offers an easy, straightforward alternative to iTunes. Photo: Tenorshare
This post is presented by Tenorshare.
Using iTunes to manage your data is not the best part of owning an iPhone or iPad. Spend time with Cupertino’s flagship app, and you realize it’s tough to navigate, with cumbersome tools for managing data and backups. It leaves many of us wishing for more straightforward, focused control over our iOS devices and data.
Apple wants to bring its chip-designing skillset to modems. Photo: IFIXIT
Qualcomm and Intel could both soon lose out on Apple’s wireless chip business completely.
After switching from Qualcomm modems to Intel modems (and causing a huge legal war in the process), Apple is reportedly looking to build more wireless chips on its own. The company is staffing up in San Diego and based on one job listing, the team is working on a cellular modem chip.