You’ll need a new iPhone if you can’t update to iOS 8 or later. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
WhatsApp has begun testing a new feature that warns users when they receive a suspected hoax message. It should help users avoid common spam that may seem genuine at first glance.
The iPhone X’s controversial notch could get a lot smaller next year.
According to the latest rumor out of Asia, Apple’s suppliers are supposedly in the early stages of a solution that could shrink the notch by combing Face ID with the iPhone’s front-facing camera.
Tim Cook meeting one of the factory workers working on Apple products in China. Photo: Apple
Foxconn isn’t the only Apple supplier to be accused of having hazardous working conditions. According to a new report, manufacturer Catcher Technology Co. — which produces casings for iPhones and MacBooks — also promotes an unsafe work environment in its factories.
This includes getting employees to handle noxious chemicals without the proper gloves or masks; cold, cramped accommodation, and an excessively loud workplace, with noise levels over 80 decibels and a lack of earplugs to protect workers’ hearing.
The iPhone reportedly had a great quarter late last year. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
iOS increased its market share in the U.S. over the most recent quarter, a new report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners reveals.
The newly published research claims that iOS devices accounted for 39 percent of new mobile device activations over Q4, compared to only a 34 percent increase this time last year. Android, meanwhile, saw activations fall from 71 percent to 64 percent.
Get a lifetime of comprehensive VPN protection, along with some other goodies. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you aren’t concerned about your security online, you aren’t paying attention. Data and identity theft are a growing, serious problem. Plus, it’s just plain annoying to deal with location-based content restrictions.
The official YouTube app for iOS is getting a new dark theme. The theme makes YouTube easier on the eye — particularly at night — and could help improve battery life on your iPhone X.
FileMaker is a subsidiary of Apple. Photo: FileMaker, Inc.
Apple subsidiary FileMaker, which makes the popular “cross-platform relational database” of the same name, just launched a new ad, reuniting several stars from the U.S. version of hit comedy The Office.
Titled “Farm Time,” the ad stars Kate Flannery, Leslie David Baker, and Paul Lieberstein, who play Meredith, Stanley and Toby respectively. It borrows from the format of the failed The Office spinoff, The Farm, and tells the story of a news reporter who investigates a root vegetable farm whose success is attributed to their use of FileMaker.
Apple came to an agreement with tech giant Tencent to reintroduce the feature. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Nearly 1 billion users of Chinese messaging app WeChat will soon be able to resume sending tips to content creators with their iPhones.
Tipping a fellow user is a big part of the popular social media platform in China. However, last year a dispute over whether Apple should get a healthy cut of those tips basically blocked WeChat tipping.
Nintendo’s newest console was by far the hottest product. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Nintendo Switch games could soon be popping up on macOS.
The team behind a popular Nintendo 3DS emulator for Mac is hard at work on a new Switch emulator called Yuzu. It will eventually allow fans to enjoy franchises like Super Mario and Zelda on platforms that aren’t officially supported by Nintendo.
A benchmark for modern web app responsiveness. Photo: Apple
Apple has released Speedometer 2.0, a benchmark that lets you test your browser’s web app responsiveness. The tool is part of Apple’s contribution to WebKit, a collaboration between Apple, Adobe Systems, Google, KDE, and others.
Speedometer 2.0 works by simulating “user interactions.” Essentially, it runs 480 tasks and then measures how long it takes your browser’s speed in carrying these out, before providing you with a report.
Another group is demanding answers from Apple. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
A Chinese consumer group is joining the number of organizations and individuals asking Apple for more information about its purposeful slowing down of older iPhones as their batteries degrade.
In a letter sent to Apple this week, the Shanghai Consumer Council asks Apple for details about what it plans to do to rectify the issue. It wants a response by Friday.
Finally, a wireless charger for your desk. Photo: Belkin
Oh man, take a look at this. It’s the Belkin Boost Up, a wireless charging dock for the iPhones 8 and X. It is a product that is either awesome or ridiculous, depending on how you look at it.
You walk into the store expecting to choose a television in record time. But while that may sound appealing, the TV-buying process is often more complex. With so many sizes and features to choose from, finding the perfect set can be overwhelming — but don’t fret.
From resolutions to refresh rates, we tell you about the key factors to consider when buying a new TV.
Rocket will change the way you use emoji on your Mac. Photo: Cult of Mac
Users of chatroom (and time-wasting tool) Slack will be familiar with typing out emoji reactions. To insert a smiley face, for example, you just type :smile:, and your text will be replaced by a smiley-face emoji when you hit enter.
If you ever find yourself missing this handy feature anywhere else on your Mac, you should take Rocket for a spin. It’s a macOS app that exists to make emojis easier.
CarPlay will be available in the 2019 Toyota Avalon. Photo: Toyota
Toyota has confirmed it will finally embrace CarPlay in its 2019 Avalon and other vehicles launching this year. The Japanese firm is one of the last major automakers to adopt Apple’s platform, which will be available with all standard packages.
If you have a MacBook, you need a HyperDrive. Photo: HyperDrive
The HyperDrive 8-in-1 USB-C hub is a MacBook owner’s dream. With all the ports you’ll ever need on the go, plus a built-in Qi charging pad, it’s ideal for connecting all your peripherals and keeping your iPhone topped up at all times.
MLK Day is celebrated each January in the U.S. Photo: Apple
As it has for years, Apple is commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day by changing the image on its homepage and displaying a quote from the legendary civil rights leader.
“The time is always right to do what is right,” reads the quote from King, which accompanies a photo of the slain minister who was born on this date in 1929. On Twitter, Tim Cook also paid homage to King, who the Apple CEO often refers to as one of his personal heroes.
One of the many items Chris Espinosa uncovered in his packing. Photo: Chris Espinosa
Clearing out your desk can be a great way of discovering paraphernalia you’d long since forgotten you owned. Things are no different if you’re a long-time Apple employee, packing up your office at 1 Infinite Loop to move to the amazing new Apple Park campus.
Here are a few of the pieces of Apple memorabilia that Chris Espinosa — Apple’s longest-serving employee, who joined the company as a 14-year-old kid when it was still based in Jobs’ garage — found when he was clearing his desk recently. Check them out below.
Learn the ins and outs of Microsoft Excel with this comprehensive, hands-on lesson bundle. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you work in an office, you probably work with Microsoft Office Suite. And of all the apps, Excel is perhaps the most useful for any professional to master. But it’s a complicated application, and to become a master you will need guidance.
Apple's A-series chips are also susceptible to Meltdown and Spectre bugs. Photo: Apple
Apple has been named in a class-action lawsuit alongside AMD and Intel. The case filed in Israel, one of many expected to hit major chip manufacturers, comes after the discovery of the Meltdown and Spectre bugs that leave billions of users at risk.
That's the GoodNotes 4 app, in case you were wondering! Photo: Apple
Apple debuted two ads over the weekend, both showing off features of the iPad Pro, running iOS 11.
The first ad, “Take Notes,” depicts how the Apple Pencil can let people write down handwritten notes, complete with doodles. The second, “Augmented Reality,” shows off Apple’s ARKit technology by demonstrating the way that apps like Ikea Place can drop virtual items of furniture into the real world.
Apple's reportedly not planning a major MacBook refresh this year. Photo: Apple
Apple has no plans for a major upgrade to its MacBook line this year, a report claims. The last time Apple gave a major upgrade to the MacBook was in 2016, when Apple introduced the Touch Bar.
Provided this is accurate, it may disappoint customers who view the introduction of the iMac Pro as proof that Apple is placing renewed emphasis on its Mac product line.
Apple's new campus is looking spectacular. Photo: Duncan Sinfield
More than six years after Steve Jobs pitched it to the Cupertino City Council, and more than four after it was given the official go-ahead, Apple Park is officially open.
In a spectacular new drone video shot by drone videographer Duncan Sinfield, the enormous Apple Park campus is shown looking sleek, polished, and ready for business. While landscaping still needs a few finishing touches, much of the large construction equipment has now been removed from the campus as it is no longer needed. Check out Duncan’s amazing video below.
'Appy weekend, everyone! Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
An app to help parents keep track of what their kids are doing on their iPhones is just one of our picks for “Awesome Apps of the Week.”
In addition, we’ve got a pair of fun retro-style platformers, and an impressive display of artificial intelligence to help keep track of the food you’re eating. Check out our selections below.
Being your own boss is great, but it takes a plan and the right skills. Get both with this bundle of courses. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
The job market is changing fast. So while all sorts of gigs are changing or vanishing, freelancing has become a more and more practical way to get work. But when charting your own career course, it can be hard to know where to start.