Mobile menu toggle

Review site lets consumers shine a light on media bias

By •

Got a beef about media bias? Rate My Media is place to call it out.
Got a beef about media bias? Rate My Media is place to call it out.
Photo: Rate My Media

This presidential election has produced a clear loser and it is not who you think. Journalism, with an already low approval rating, has lost even more support from a public not sure what to trust in the cacophony of media voices.

One university professor has started an internet conversation with a tool that aims to educate media consumers on the influences of media bias, which can be destructive with a single word or phrase inadvertently used in a sentence.

Apple is honing Siri’s skills in a secret U.K. office

By •

Siri
Hey, Siri, tell us about Apple's new secret U.K. office!
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple is using a “secret office” in Cambridge, in the U.K., to make Siri smarter, claims a new report.

Located approximately five minutes walk from the city’s train station, the fewer-than-30-person office shows no outward sign of being an Apple office. It includes a number of employees from VocalIQ, a Cambridge University spinoff, which was acquired by Apple in 2015 for as much as $100 million.

Salivating over Apple’s latest, greatest laptops? Sell your old MacBook to us first.

By •

smashed_macbook
If your MacBook looks like this, it might be time to trade in and upgrade.
Photo illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Got your eye on one of Apple’s latest super-sexy MacBooks? Wipe the drool from your chin, and sell your old MacBook to us — even if it fell off a bridge.

You could go through the sketchy and time-consuming process of selling your computer on Craigslist, but good luck if it’s in less than mint condition. We’ve got a better way to make sure you get what you deserve for your old computer.

In most cases, Cult of Mac’s Apple gear buyback program offers more for used or broken devices than Gazelle, Walmart, Best Buy or even Apple itself.

Elgato’s HomeKit motion sensor is ready to automate your house

By •

The new Eve Motion sensor can detect when you get home.
The new Eve Motion sensor can detect when you get home.
Photo: Elgato

Turning your dumb old house into a Jetsons-style smart home of the future just got a little bit easier, with Elgato’s introduction of a super-cheap motion sensor.

The HomeKit-connected device, called Eve Motion, lets users pair it with other smart appliances and gadgets to automate workflows. You can then use Eve Motion to trigger a series of tasks, like turning on the lights when it detects that you walk into a room.

Apple sends it off the high-dive in new iPhone 7 ad

By •

Taking your iPhone to the pool is no longer a risk.
Taking your iPhone to the pool is no longer a risk.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new ad for the iPhone 7 will have you missing the warmth of summer.

The funny new ad shows off the iPhone 7’s new stereo speakers and waterproofing in a scene that follows an old man at the pool. Titled “Dive.” the ad leads up to a dramatic conclusion when the old man reaches the high dive while blasting tunes.

Check out the new iPhone 7 ad, which debuted on Apple’s YouTube channel today:

Apple needs to make this Magic Keyboard with Touch Bar

By •

Touch Bar would make Magic Keyboard even better.
Touch Bar would make Magic Keyboard even better.
Photo: Hazza42/Reddit

Apple’s new Touch Bar looks like the coolest innovation since trackpads, but there’s just one problem: You must buy a brand new MacBook Pro to get it.

It seems inevitable that Apple will eventually bring the Touch Bar to all Macs, so a concept artist created a mockup of what that may look like. It looks like a Touch Bar on a new Magic Keyboard would be even more incredible than on the MacBook Pro.

Take a closer look:

Apple’s first AR product may arrive by 2018

By •

hololens by microsoft
All Apple has to do is making something that looks less dorky than this.
Photo: Microsoft

Apple’s stalling autonomous car project caused the company to shift its attention to augmented reality, according to analyst Ming Chi Kuo, who says the company is racing ahead of the competition when it comes to AR.

In a new note to investors, the KGI Securities analyst says Apple’s decision to develop a self-driving platform instead of an entire electric car makes sense. The company will use augmented reality to provide an incredible experience, he predicts.

Slack’s public letter to Microsoft takes a note from Apple playbook

By •

Screen Shot 2016-11-02 at 15.53.08
It's like it's 1981 again.
Photo: Twitter/Stewart Butterfield

Apple’s pulled some memorable marketing stunts over the years, particularly in its early days when it was still the underdog fighting against much larger opponents.

With the rest of Silicon Valley desperate to have some of that Cupertino fairy dust, cloud-based team collaboration chatroom Slack published an open letter to Microsoft in today’s New York Times — paying homage to an audacious 1981 publicity stunt by Apple at the expense of IBM.

LeEco Le Pro3 looks pretty good for a dirt-cheap Android

By •

The LePro3 comes packs powerhouse features into a brushed-aluminum body.
Get your LeEco Le Pro3 cheap today!
Photo: LeEco

With a sharp screen, a fast processor and 4GB of RAM, the new LeEco Le Pro3 is a bold shot across the bow of Apple and other premium smartphone makers.

While the hardware nudges the phone toward the high end of the spectrum, the rock-bottom pricing should send shivers through Cupertino. At just $399 — or $299 if you get in on LeEco’s generous instant rebate, which starts today — the Le Pro3 is a steal when compared to the iPhone 7 Plus.

Want to turn your bottle into a speaker? Put a Cork in it.

By •

Cork Speaker
Now you can bottle your sound, literally, with the Cork Speaker.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

There are Bluetooth speakers that are shaped like bottles. Then there’s the Bluetooth speaker that needs a bottle to work.

The Cork Speaker attaches right where you might think – at the opening of a bottle – and directs audio into the empty space so that it projects a deep and resonating sound.

Apple Watch strap adds two HD cameras

By •

CMRA_20Apple_20Watch_20camera.0.0
Is this a useful use-case for the Apple Watch? This company hopes so.
Photo: Glide

If you’re disappointed that the Apple Watch doesn’t boast a built-in camera, you may be interested to hear about a new watch band available for pre-order today.

Called CMRA, the third-party Apple Watch strap boasts a pair of HD camera with the ability for users to carry out “seamless photo and video capture” directly from their wrists.

Rugged smartphone tripod tackles any situation [Deals]

By •

Take pictures from any angle with this super durable smartphone tripod
Take pictures from any angle with this super durable smartphone tripod
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

When you’re out in the world trying to take high quality photos with your smartphone, a tripod is invaluable. What you want is a portable phone mount that can get any angle and withstand the test of time and travel, and that’s what the ARMOR-X tripod was built for. It’s built to take photos anywhere and from any angle, even on rugged surfaces like rocks, and it’s built to last. And right now you can get one for $19.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Why the MacBook Pro headphone jack didn’t disappear

By •

iPhone 6 headphone jack
Gone from the iPhone, not from the MacBook Pro.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

A few people were surprised to see a 3.5mm headphone jack appear on Apple’s new MacBook Pro laptop, just weeks after the company very publicly discarded the port for its new iPhone 7.

But according to Phil Schiller, speaking in a new interview, it’s not an example of inconsistency on Apple’s part. Instead, it speaks to a much deeper philosophical question on Apple’s part about the difference between mobile and non-mobile devices.

Atlas Recall has the muscle to be the ultimate search engine

By •

Atlas Recall
If it came across your screen, Atlas Recall can find it.
Photo: Atlas Informatics

Jordan Ritter owes his success as a software architect and serial entrepreneur to ruthless time and task management. But still, there were times “digital chaos” was kicking his ass.

So leave it to Ritter, who made history with Napster, to kick back. His newest venture, Atlas Informatics, launched a software product he says will give every user a “photographs memory” of their digital lives.

Escape From New York smartwatch might make your head explode

By •

Lifeclock One makes you Snake Plissken-chic.
Lifeclock One makes you Snake Plissken-chic.
Photo: Jonathan Zufi

Before there was an Apple Watch, Snake Plissken had a kind of smartwatch that tracked his health. He knew that if his watch hit zero before he could rescue the President of the United States, he could count on the explosives injected into his neck to go off.

But that’s not the point. What matters is that the countdown clock attached to actor Kurt Russell for the 1981 classic Escape from New York would make a really stylish smartwatch today. And you can now own one and wear it as if your president’s life depended on it.

Hulu’s live TV stream will deliver ESPN, Disney and Fox

By •

The new Hulu will launch next year.
The new Hulu will launch next year.

Hulu scored two new partnerships for its upcoming streaming TV service that it plans to use to help cable subscribers finally cut the cord.

Both Disney and 21st Century Fox have agreed to be part of Hulu’s skinny bundle that will allow customers to stream live TV from at least two of the top networks in the US for a monthly fee.

Valet Charger power pack lets you leave your Apple Watch cable at home

By •

The Valet Charger solves a first-world problem: How to keep your Apple Watch charged on the go.
The Valet Charger solves a first-world problem: Keeping your Apple Watch elegantly charged on the go.
Photo: Belkin

If you’re traveling with your Apple Watch and desperately want to eliminate a cable from your bag, Belkin’s new Valet Charger power pack could do the trick.

With its built-in round magnetic charging module, this 6,700mAh battery pack lets you jettison the single-use cable that comes with every Apple Watch.

New MacBook Pro may get an OLED upgrade

By •

macbook pro
The new MacBook Pro is stunner.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone 8 may not be the only Apple product that gets an OLED upgrade next year.

Apple is reportedly testing new displays for next year’s MacBook Pro and is exploring the use of OLED, which offers lower battery consumption, brighter colors and sharper contrasts.

Apple’s flagship store in Chicago comes with $62 million price tag

By •

IMG_2433
An artist rendering of Apple's store on the north bank of the Chicago River.
Photo: Chicago Department of Planning and Development

The new store being built by Apple along the Chicago River is shaping up to be one of the company’s most expensive new locations of 2017.

Apple’s store on the iconic “Magnificent Mile” is being mostly built underground at 401 N. Michigan Ave., but Apple wants the plaza-level entrance to be absolutely fabulous, so it’s going to cost more than $60 million.

iOS 10.2 public beta brings new wallpapers and emoji

By •

iPhone 7
iPhone 7 Plus owners get three new wallpapers with iOS 10.2
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

One day after launching the first beta of iOS 10.2 to developers, Apple has now made the software update available to public testers.

iOS 10.2 is the first major update for iPhone and iPad users since 10.1 brought Portrait Mode To iPhone 7 Plus users as well as a number of UI tweaks. The new iOS 10.2 beta is slim on new features but does bring 72 new emoji and wallpapers.

MacBook Pro’s two biggest problems may get fixed in 2017

By •

The MacBook Pro will be more affordable next year.
The MacBook Pro will be more affordable next year.
Photo: Apple

Apple just barely revealed its new MacBook Pro, but rumors about the next-generation model are already giving fans something to get excited about in 2017.

The next MacBook Pro will supposedly come with a much-lower price tag, according to one of the most accurate Apple analysts in the biz, Ming-Chi Kuo.

AirPods might get delayed until 2017

By •

airpods
AirPods were originally scheduled to arrive in October.
Photo: Apple

If you had AirPods on your Christmas list, it might be time to cross them off. A new report claims we could be waiting until January next year for Apple’s fancy new wireless earphones to go on sale.