Cult of Mac

Apple is again trying to convince fans that the iPad Pro is a suitable PC replacement. Earlier this week, the company rolled out new ads that remind us why its high-end slate is better (in some ways) than a desktop. But there’s just one problem.

iPad Pro, like other iOS devices, isn’t compatible with a mouse or trackpad. That’s fine in most cases, but many users would like to use a mouse for all manner of things, and Apple doesn’t allow it. Should this change in a future version of iOS?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we discuss why mouse compatibility might be great for iPad Pro, and why it might be pointless!

Notorious recluse Frank Ocean doesn’t come out of hiding that often, but when he does he sure does make it worth it, like today when he surprised fans with a new Beats 1 radio show.

Now is a great time to upgrade to the iPhone 7 if you’re an AT&T customer.

In its first Buy One Get One deal of 2017, AT&T is offering a free iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus to any customers that pay for one of Apple’s newest handsets.

iOS widgets can put loads of useful data at your fingertips. A simple swipe to the right on your iPhone’s Home screen brings up the Today view, where widgets give you a quick glance at info pulled from your favorite apps.

If you’re using iOS 10 and you’ve never taken the time to customize your widgets list, you’re missing out. Here’s how to set up iOS widgets and keep your day on track.

Get ready to change all your passwords again.

A huge new memory leak from web services company Cloudflare may have left data from thousands of domains exposed, including some very high-profile sites. Cloudflare says it fixed the problem, which was caused by a bug known as Cloudbleed, but not before users’ sensitive data got cached by search engines.

Lots of us wish we knew another language, and we all have similar excuses for not making it happen: We’re too busy or too old, there’s nobody to practice with, and so on. The truth is that it’s never too late to add a language to your life.

Rosetta Stone is one of the best-known programs for language skills for a reason. It’s an intuitive, immersive, visually driven method that’s been proven to work, and is used for training by governments and academic institutions alike. And right now you can get Rosetta Stone in a variety of languages for just $149.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Today would’ve been Steve Jobs’ 62nd birthday, and Tim Cook took to Twitter to pay tribute to Apple’s co-founder and Cook’s predecessor as CEO.

“Remembering Steve, whose words and ideals will always inspire us,” Cook wrote. He then quoted a line from Jobs: “There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

Cult of Mac’s podcast The CultCast hit its five-year anniversary this week, and to celebrate we want to hang out with you!

We’ll be hosting a live 5th anniversary extravaganza this afternoon, celebrating all the amazing listeners we’ve grown to love during this crazy experience. Erfon, Leander, Buster and maybe even some special guests will be part of the live event. The festivities start at 12 p.m. Pacific today. All you have to do is watch the live YouTube feed below.

Come join the party!

Apple is set to launch three new iPads this year, including an entry-level 9.7-inch iPad, 10.5-inch iPad, and upgraded 12.9-inch iPad Pro. However, according to a new report you could be waiting a bit longer than expected for the two larger sizes.

Previously it was suggested that all three would be released in the first quarter of 2017, but it’s now sounding like Apple will hold off until May or June before the 10.5- and 12.9-inch models hit shelves.

Apple is investigating an iPhone 7 Plus that reportedly exploded and began pouring out smoke earlier this week. A video of the incident went viral when it was posted on Twitter.

“We are in touch with the customer and looking into it,” the Apple representative said.

This week on The CultCast: It’s been five years of CultCasts! We’ll regale you with some of our favorite stories from past shows. Plus: Our hardware expectations from Apple’s rumored March event; why iPhone 8’s wireless charging will probably be lame; Apple has five teams working on next-generation charging tech; why iPhone 8’s camera could pump out industrial-grade slow motion; and Steve Jobs gets a beautiful new home on Apple’s new spaceship campus.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace.com website. Enter offer code “CultCast” at checkout to get 10 percent off any hosting plan.

Apple designs its products with an affinity for creatives of all kinds. But a French artist known as Monsieur Plant uses Macs to take “Think Different” to another level.

The Apple computers used by Christophe Guinet, 39, are not the tools but the subject in a body of work that integrates life-giving plant matter with life-altering technology.

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty is predicting big things for iPhone 8 sales once Apple finally unveils the device this fall.

In her latest research note to clients, the Wall Street analyst predicts that the edge-to-edge OLED display and longer battery life on the iPhone 8 will accelerate upgrades from customers with iPhones that are two years old or older.

Our App Business section is brought to you by MacPaw, maker of proven Mac apps.

When you’re developing Mac apps, success can sometimes seem self-defeating. The better job you do, the less your customers need to buy subsequent versions of your app. Your job then shifts to marketing and an endless quest to acquire new customers in order to keep cash flowing in. Meanwhile, those who use a subscription business model for their software can easily enjoy that sweet, sweet recurring revenue.

Apple plans to deepen its roots in Microsoft’s backyard by expanding operations at its Seattle center that specializes in AI and machine learning technology.

Details about the new Seattle hub were shared by Apple in a recent interview that also announced the iPhone-maker has created a $1 million endowed professorship in artificial intelligence at the University of Washington.

Future iPhones may be set to get a huge video upgrade, thanks to a new smartphone camera sensor created by Apple’s longtime supplier.

Sony has reportedly developed a new image sensor that is capable of shooting video at 960fps. That’s 720 frames more than the iPhone’s current slo-mo feature.

Apple’s Mac App Store is broken. For developers and Mac users alike, the online store just isn’t working.

It’s too hard for buyers to find good software. And, thanks to Apple’s picky restrictions, the Mac App Store can make life difficult for developers.

Setapp, a Netflix-style subscription service for Mac apps, offers an innovative alternative. Instead of buying apps individually, you rent a bunch of them for $9.99 a month.

While it might sound unnerving to anyone accustomed to the idea of buying Mac apps outright, after using the service for two months, I found it liberating. Setup is dead-easy. And the selection is fantastic. Setapp serves up more than 60 Mac apps, all handpicked by MacPaw, the Mac development company that dreamed up the service.

Apple may be likely to adopt the popular Qi standard when it brings wireless charging to this year’s iPhone, but it seems that Apple isn’t abandoning reports that it could use a proprietary alternative solution.

According to a new report, the company currently has not one or two, but five different groups inside Apple currently working to develop wireless charging technology for future iPhones.

No matter how much storage your iPhone has, you’ll find a way to run out of it. iTunes doesn’t make managing that data very easy, either. That’s what makes iMemStick so useful. Part thumb drive, part dual-sided USB and Lightning cable, it offers a fast and easy way to store files — documents, videos, photos, etc. — from your iOS devices. It also provides a simple way to move those files to and from other devices.

Think of it as a 64GB lifeboat for your iOS data. And right now you can get an iMemStick 3.0 for just $74.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Google’s awesome Gboard keyboard for iPhone finally supports voice dictation. The feature is powered by Google’s own voice recognition technology, and you can access it quickly by holding down the space bar.

This update also brings new emoji, Google Doodles, and support for 15 additional languages.

In news that makes us feel pretty darn ancient, this month marks 21 years since the first Pokémon game launched in Japan — and Pokémon GO is getting in on the action!

As part of the #PokemonDay celebrations, starting February 26 at 1PM PST and running through the next day, Pokémon GO players will be able to hunt and capture a wild Pikachu adored with “festive party hat.”

In other words, you’d better carve out some free time if you really want to catch ’em all!

Apple has criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to reverse a policy that allowed transgender students to use bathrooms according to the gender they identify as.

The controversial stance on bathroom usage was put in place by former President Barack Obama’s administration last May. At the time, it was hailed as a significant victory for transgender rights.

We’ve spotted a rare factory-refurbished iMac, plus the best price for an iPhone SE 16GB we’ve ever seen. You’ll find these bargains and more is in this week’s roundup of the best Apple deals anywhere.

A day after Apple stock set a new all-time high mark, the company’s shares did it again, closing Wednesday at a new record.

At the end of trading today, AAPL closed up 0.37 percent at $137.11 per share, beating yesterday’s high of $136.68.

The next generation of wireless internet speed is nearly here. But only if you have a Verizon account.

The carrier said today that it plans to start rolling out its high-speed wireless 5G network in the United States during the first half of 2017, making it the first cellular network to offer the new technology.