Instagram is taking another swipe at Snapchat with a new feature called “Type.” It allows users to post text to their Stories — without adding a photo or video — and it’s in testing now ahead of a wider rollout. Another Snapchat feature is also on its way.
Apple has earned a spot on the first “Top 100 Global Technology Leaders” list from Thomson Reuters.
The iPhone-maker was named in sixth place behind rivals like Microsoft and Google, but it did beat out Amazon and Samsung. The list is based on a 28-factor algorithm that measures performance across eight benchmarks, including innovation, environmental impact, and reputation.
Up until now, Apple’s in-car platform CarPlay has been offered as a one-off payment if you want it in a BMW vehicle. That could soon change, however, according to a new report, suggesting that BMW is looking to switch to a subscription-based system.
Apple and HBO are vying for a new sci-fi drama series written by Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams. The untitled show is the first bit of TV writing Abrams has done since working on Fringe a decade ago in 2008.
In addition to Fringe, Abrams co-created the popular TV show Lost, as well as creating both Felicity and Alias. He has also executive-produced multiple shows in the past few years, including HBO’s Westworld, Showtime’s Roadies and Hulu’s upcoming Castle Rock.
Apple suppliers have begun shipping the first HomePod units ahead of the smart speaker’s much-anticipated launch. Just 1 million devices are on the way initially. However, Apple is expected to receive as many as 12 million by the end of this year.
Apple has said that it will reduce the cost of replacement batteries as a result of its iPhone slowdown controversy. However, according to a new lawsuit leveled against Apple this practice could wind up destroying valuable evidence.
In a motion filed in Los Angeles by lawyer Adam Levitt of DiCello Levitt & Casey, the claimant says that it is important to, “maintain and preserve any data [Apple] collects through diagnostic testing in order to protect the claims of all affected consumers.” In other words, stop throwing away batteries!
As CEO of the world’s most valuable company, Tim Cook can pick and choose where he gives interviews. Which is why it’s kind of cool that he just gave an interview to high school student Rebecca Kahn.
In an article published by the National Center for Women & Information Technology, Kahn recalls her experience speaking Tim Cook — and the unlikely way it all came about.
Another strange bug has been discovered in Messages for Mac and iOS. Following a certain URL causes all kinds of issues on both platforms, including freezes, restarts, and even battery issues. You don’t even have to open the link to suffer the problems.
Poor sales of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus may be dragging down “the momentum” of the iPhone X, a new report claims.
Citing component suppliers in the iPhone supply chain, it’s claimed that the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus began to show signs of declining demand in the fourth quarter of 2017, and overall component orders for iPhone devices in Q1 2018 have dropped 15-30 percent below the expected numbers as a result.
WWDC 2018 is six months away but it’s not too early to start dreaming of new watchOS software.
Concept designer Matt Birchler has created a detailed look at some incredible features he thinks Apple should add to the Apple Watch. Some of the ideas like always-on watch faces seem like no-brainers for future updates, but Birchler also has some ideas on how to pack more useful information on the watch face.
Take a closer look:
AudioStretch is a “music transcription tool.” It’s a universal iOS app that slows down music, and/or changes its pitch, so you can learn to play songs. We’ve covered another of these, Capo Touch, before on Cult of Mac, but AudioStretch is easier to use. Plus, a recent update added the ability for the music transcription app to work its magic on video.
If you’re gonna smuggle cocaine, don’t use iPhone boxes.
The United Arab Emirates have sentenced a man to death after he was recently caught in Abu Dhabi the country with iPhone boxes stuffed to the brim with blow.
Apple’s relationship with the FBI isn’t nearly as contentious as some government officials and critics would have you believe.
That’s according to the FBI’s San Francisco chief, John Bennett, who says his office and Apple actually enjoy a great relationship. In fact, Apple actually trains FBI agents on how to do their jobs better.
Did you know that when you make changes to a file you have in your Dropbox, the cloud service actually remembers those changes? In fact, Dropbox retains unlimited versions of your files for 30 days.
That means you can go back and recover a single deleted sentence from a text file, for example, but this feature also has the potential to radically change how you work. With a free Mac app called Revisions for Dropbox, you can really dig in and use this Dropbox feature properly.
Apple seeded a new beta build to developers today with the release of macOS 10.13.3 beta 5.
The new beta comes a week after Apple dropped the fourth beta build on developers, bringing with it a host of new bug fixes and performance improvements.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Check it out below.
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 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.
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.