Cult of Mac

The first major Apple keynote of 2018 is just hours away, and it’s going to be a doozy. Apple is expected to give us our first look at iOS 12 and macOS 10.14, plus new software for Apple TV, Apple Watch and Apple Music. Some new hardware might also be in the cards as well, but we’ll have to wait until Tim Cook takes the stage to find out.

The WWDC 2018 keynote is set to kick off at 10 a.m. Pacific and we’ll be at the event and live-blogging all the festivities. Come on in and enjoy the fun with us!

Just about everyone agrees that Apple is prepping three iPhone models for release this fall. Analysts don’t agree on what these will cost.

Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a long history of being generally correct about Apple’s plans, said today that these devices will have lower prices than some might fear.

Just in time for WWDC, drone videographers Duncan Sinfield and Matthew Roberts have uploaded new drone flyover videos of Apple Park.

The videos show that landscaping is continuing on the spectacular site and more people than ever are working there. Most astonishing of all is a glimpse of the 24-hour window cleaning crew, reminding us of just how massive Apple’s shiny new headquarters actually is. Check out the videos below.

New MacBook Pro benchmarks have surfaced online ahead of a possible refresh at WWDC later today.

The new machine, which features a six-core Intel Coffee Lake processor, outperforms every other MacBook on Geekbench.

PLenty of us dream of starting a business. But to make that dream a reality, you’ve got to have a plan. The entrepreneurial life can be overwhelming, with lots to learn, organize and do, so a little help can go a long way.

At WWDC, Apple could debut new multiplayer AR tools which allow two iPhone users to share the same augmented reality space.

The news was shared in a recent Reuters report. While short on details, the report suggests that it will be able to do this while minimizing the amount of personal data that is sent to servers.

Improvements to Apple Music could be showcased at WWDC later today — but one new feature has slipped out early. A new web player gives Apple Music fans the ability to sample and enjoy full tracks in their browsers.

Getting ready for today’s WWDC 2018 Keynote? Of course you are. You probably already stocked up on popcorn, or those filthy Haribo candies, and have a fresh bag of coffee beans ready to grind (or a crate of the manchild’s alternative, Club Mate).

All you need now is a live stream of the show. Let’s see how to watch the WWDC 2018 Keynote on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and even PC.

Apple is known for exerting a lot of control over the manufacturing of its products, and it’s reportedly set to ramp up this control even further.

Beginning with its new MacBook models, Apple will reportedly carry out direct pricing negotiations for the screws and assorted non-key metallic and plastic parts used on its devices, which are currently purchased directly by its contracted supply partners.

A woman in Canada has been fined for using her Apple Watch behind the wheel of her car.

Victoria Ambrose was charged with distracted driving and told that an Apple Watch is no safer “than a cellphone taped to someone’s wrist.” She had argued that the existing 2009 law about distracted driving did not apply because it referred to a “handheld wireless communication device.”

The winners of scholarships to Apple’s worldwide developers conference got a special bonus: the opportunity to meet CEO Tim Cook.

These students used their coding skills to demonstrate that they belong at this year’s WWDC. In return they receive free admission, free lodging, and help with travel expenses if needed. 

Thinking perhaps that third time’s the charm, another lawsuit has been filed claiming that the keyboard used in the MacBook Pro is defective. Like the two prior ones filed last month, this seeks to become a class action.

All of these suits claim that the keys in Apple’s laptop can become permanently jammed, and a very expensive fix requires replacing the entire keyboard and other components.

In this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine: Imagine if your Apple Watch could tell you which days were best for you to do a workout, and what kind of workout you should do. Well it can, sort of, thanks to a hidden feature that few people have yet discovered or know how to use.

You’ll find that story and more in this issue. Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.

This week we get productive, with colorful new features in the Ulysses word processor app, amazing new keyboard controls in Things for iOS, and more. Check out our awesome apps of the week.

Whether you’re working on a graphic design project or redecorating your home, color is key. But most of us can’t tell the difference between purple and violet, so we’ve found a tool that can help.

Your Mac’s a mighty machine, but it needs great apps to be at its best. So we’ve rounded up some of the top titles at the lowest prices, from a powerful mind-mapping program to a ‘Netflix for Mac apps’, a powerful iOS manager and more. Everything in this list is discounted by a third or more, read on for more details:

Our iPhone charging cables will soon disappear thanks to the promise of wireless chargers. CheeNYC, a relatively new Qi tech company, has a beauty aptly named ONYXX.

It is smooth black and shiny, looking very much like the gemstone with the same name, especially when it is wet. The ONYXX is made for the outdoors with components that are resistant to dust and “splashing” water.

There’s a security setting in iOS that will erase everything on your iPhone, resetting it back to a blank, factory-state slate if you tap in the wrong passcode 10 times. It’s called Data Protection, and I never wrote a how to on this because I figured everyone would have it switched on. After all, who wouldn’t want that kind of excellent security if ever they lost their iPhone?

Apple released macOS 10.13.5 today, an update that brings the long-awaited Messages in iCloud feature to Mac users.

The new feature, which Apple rolled out to iPhones and iPads earlier this week in iOS 11.4, should free up space on your Mac. More importantly, it will finally allow you to sync iMessages with all your Apple devices via the cloud.

How do you follow a project like the Macintosh? A high-flying Apple spinoff called General Magic tried to answer that question in the early 1990s.

After revolutionizing the personal computer, a team of ambitious ex-Apple engineers set out to build a connected touchscreen mobile device that prefigured the iPhone by 25 years. Their startup, General Magic, became one of the hottest ventures in Silicon Valley — before it all came crashing down.

“That period is one of the most important in computing history,” Sarah Kerruish, co-director of new documentary General Magic, told Cult of Mac. “It’s when handhelds were first realized, and when we saw the first early stages of the internet. General Magic combines these profoundly important threads in technology.”

Apple hasn’t even previewed iOS 12 yet and we’re already talking about iOS 13, thanks to a bunch of new emoji. Emojipedia has revealed the list of character candidates for 2019, which includes a bunch of new expressions, animals, and more.

Another day, another analyst, another report speculating about a future iPhone with three lenses.

A Korean newspaper reporting on an expected Samsung Galaxy S10 with three rear-facing cameras casually mentioned Apple’s first planned three-lens iPhone will be an iPhone X Plus that could launch as early as this year.

Photos and videos are some of our most important mementos, helping us recount our fondest memories. The thought of losing those keepsakes shouldn’t be something that keeps you up at night.

With Google Photos, every photo and video on your iOS device can be safely backed up to the cloud, accessible even if your iPhone or iPad goes up in flames. Even better, Google Photos can help you free up space on your iOS device, so there’s always room to take more pictures.

Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” ad campaign just got a submission from one of the world’s biggest artists.

Kanye West dropped one of the most-anticipated records of 2018 this morning, and the album cover was snapped by Ye himself with an iPhone. The subject matter may not be what you expect!

Apple’s new 6.1-inch iPhone might be delayed until November, according to one report. But you don’t have to wait until then to see it. The images and video below provide our very first glimpse at what will be a more affordable alternative to iPhone X.