Sometimes an app gets out of control and eats up your battery, even while it doesn’t seem to be active. Once, I had an iPad drained almost completely by a runaway instance of Skype. Or you may have an app that is supposed to run in the background — a synthesizer, or another music app, for example — and you forget you left it running, draining your iPhone battery.

Or perhaps you just want to see how much battery your various apps use. In any of these cases, you can open up a Settings screen that will report which apps have used how much battery, and for how long, over the past day or week. It’s a very handy screen indeed.

One of the biggest new features on Apple’s next-generation iPhone might be a bit of disappointment to buyers.

According to the latest rumor out of Asia, Apple will use an older standard for its inductive charging feature which means recharging could take longer than expected.

Developers received a big batch of beta updates from Apple today, bringing iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra one step closer to public launch ahead of Apple’s huge keynote next month.

The seventh beta builds for iOS 11, macOS High Sierra, watchOS 4 and tvOS 11 were all seeded to developers. While previous betas have added a host of changes, the new builds focus mostly on bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements which could mean Apple’s nearly done fine-tuning the new software updates.

Your Mac is a mighty machine. But like any machine, it requires regular maintenance to stay running at top form. Except that with Macs you don’t need a mechanic, just the right software.

The New York Police Department will scrap the 36,000 Windows Phones it bought for cops over the past two years and replace them with iPhones, a new report claims.

The first iPhones will be introduced just two months after the last Windows Phone was handed out, the New York Post reports. The Windows Phones were introduced as part of a $160 million initiative that Mayor Bill de Blasio referred to as “a huge step into the 21st century.”

Apple is planning to add a number of new exercises to its Apple Watch Workouts app this fall, according to new icons and titles uncovered in the latest iOS 11 beta.

Activities will include the addition of badminton, barre, baseball, bowling, boxing climbing, core training, cricket, curling, dance, equestrian sports, fencing, fishing, flexibility, functional training, golf, gymnastics, jump rope, kickboxing, lacrosse, paddle sports, pilates, “play,” sailing, skating, skiing and other snow sports, step training, strength training and surfing.

Apple has updated its iTunes desktop and mobile storefronts to start accepting American Red Cross donations for the Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. Tim Cook asked users to join the relief effort in a post made on Twitter over the weekend.

Apple is giving users the option of donating to the cause in $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, or $200 increments.

A great premium top-down stealth shooter that’s sure to appeal to any Hitman or Metal Gear Solid fans out there is just one of the apps we’ve picked for this week’s “Awesome Apps” roundup.

We’ve also got new reminders integration for a superb email client for Mac, a podcast recording app for iOS, and a massive update to one of my absolute favorite games of 2017. Check out our picks below.

iOS 11 is ready to mark yet another major overhaul for Apple users and developers both. Apple has said that iOS 11 will mark the new standard for the operating system, with sweeping tweaks and changes. Whether you’re new to coding or a seasoned pro, it’s time to get studying.

By Joey Pritikin

Over the last five years, biometrics has evolved from the stuff of crime scene investigation and science fiction movies to a broad set of technologies that make our lives easier, more personal, and more secure. Starting with the Touch ID sensor in the iPhone 5s, Apple led the way in the acceptance and adoption of biometrics.

The latest indications are that Apple is embracing a face-recognition approach that goes beyond a standard 2D, visible-light sensor. When used in a situation where there are only a handful of approved users, like a consumer mobile device, the promise is great.

With every new week come great new deals at the Cult of Mac Store. This go-round, we’ve got a simple but powerful writing platform for Mac, and a super versatile, double-sided phone mount. Also in are comprehensive lessons in social media marketing, and a powerful VPN for enhanced online privacy and security. Plus everything is discounted by at least 25 percent, and as much as 97 percent. Read on for more details.

This week on The CultCast: Even more juicy details leak on iPhone 8, plus a report says Apple’s keynote reveal is right around the corner. Plus: There’s a strange twist in Apple’s autonomous car project; why the 13-inch MacBook Pro might soon get a lot more horsepower; and stick around for an all-new storytime, where we’ll tell you what it’s like inside the eerie darkness of a total solar eclipse.

Samsung delivers the new Galaxy Note 8, and it’s bigger and better than ever. So, how does it stack up against iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and the upcoming iPhone 8?

In this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine, you’ll find that story and more. Get the latest on iPhone 8 facial recognition that will amaze you. And, check out the classic Speidel Twist-O-Flex watch band. All the rage mid-century, this stretchy stainless steel band is now available in our Watch Store. Get your free subscription to Cult of Mac Magazine from iTunes. Or read on for this week’s top stories.

A looper is a great musician’s tool, for practice and for making songs. Looper apps are also fantastic fun for anyone who wants to take a crack at creating a tune. Just hit record on a looper app, and make some noise. Then hit the button again, and your recording is played over and over, in a loop.

Then you then build on this, adding more layers. A guitarist can chop out drum beats, then some chords, and play a melody over the loop. A beatboxer can boom, boom, chick and spit into a microphone to build up what the kids call “sick beatz.” And Jimmy Fallon can sing a duet with Billy Joel.

There are many looper apps for iOS. Here are a few of the best.

One of the most popular types of headphones made by Beats is getting a fresh look in the form of an exclusive “Neighbourhood Collection” that adds new colors to the Solo3 headphones.

Google has expanded the reach of the Google Assistant on iOS.

Until today, the feature was only available to iPhone and iPad users in the U.S. — but now you can access it in a number of new countries throughout Europe, including the U.K.

If you’re reading this, you probably see a lot of PDFs cross your desktop. After all, they’re the format of choice for digital documents. But you might not realize that PDFs can be a lot more flexible and useful, with the right tools.

Yet another supposed next-generation iPhone component has leaked out early, adding another piece to the wireless charging puzzle.

This time, it’s another circular circuit board — but it doesn’t quite line up with previous iPhone 8 leaks.

Apple is expanding its Swift app development curriculum to cover more than 30 community colleges across the U.S. in the 2017-2017 school year.

In addition to the existing colleges adopting the curriculum, it was now be offered by Austin Community College District (ACC), one of the nation’s largest higher learning institutions, with 74,000 students.

Apple TV is expected to get a major upgrade this September. Sources familiar with Apple’s plans say the set-top box will finally deliver 4K video streaming with support for HDR, and a greater focus on live television content like news and sports.

A court in South Korea has sentenced 49-year-old Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong to five years in prison for corruption.

Lee — who denied all charges — was convicted regarding his role in a bribery scandal involving Park Geun-hye, the former president of South Korea. Prosecutors were seeking a 12-year maximum sentence.

This week’s Apple deals feature unique opportunities to save on MacBooks, iPhones and an interesting Apple Watch accessory. Plus, you can get a free Apple TV, thanks to the return of a great deal.

You know how on your Mac you always drag stuff to the desktop as a kind of temporary holding spot? You might be gathering together some photos, or just keeping a PDF until you work out where to put it, or until you have emailed it and can delete the original. That kind of thing isn’t possible in iOS, because a) there is no real concept of files, at least not in the Mac way, and b) there’s no desktop. But that’s about to change in iOS 11. The new Files app takes care of a), and thirdparty apps like The Shelf will be able to take to role of the desktop.

The race to complete Apple Park’s Steve Jobs Theater before the iPhone 8 unveiling looks nearly over in the latest drone video that showcases Apple’s spaceship campus.

Construction crews are still spread across the gorgeous grounds putting the finishing touches on landscaping and other projects but from the look of things, it won’t be long before Apple employees finally move in.

Take a look:

When Apple CEO Tim Cook paid a visit to testing equipment supplier CTS in Cincinnati this morning, he might have accidentally revealed that he’s already using an iPhone 8.

Cook tweeted a photo of himself talking to workers at the manufacturing facility, but the web is abuzz with what was hidden in his pocket. The outline of a device in his pocket appears to be an iPhone that’s too narrow to be an iPhone 7 Plus but too big to be an iPhone 7.