Mobile menu toggle

Tim Cook was considered as Hillary Clinton’s vice president

By

Tim has plenty to cheer about.
There aren't too many more powerful jobs than running Apple, but this would be one.
Photo: Apple

Tim Cook was apparently considered as a possible running mate for Hillary Clinton, according to a new email released by WikiLeaks.

Written by Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta, the email includes a number of high-profile names touted as potential vice presidential candidates, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Public testers can now get iOS 10.1 beta 4

By

jet black iphone 7 plus
Portrait Mode is nearly ready for primetime.
Photo: Apple

The fourth beta build of iOS 10.1 was seeded to public testers today by Apple after the company gave developers a first look at the software last week.

The new beta comes less than a week after Apple seeded iOS 10.1 beta 3 to testers, bringing a number of bug fixes and as well as support for Portrait Mode on the iPhone 7 Plus.

Note 7 flameout means millions of new iPhone owners

By

Galaxy Note 7 water wet
Samsung has pointed plenty of customers in Apple's direction.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Samsung may have acknowledged that its disastrous Galaxy Note 7 debacle is likely to cost it $5.3 billion, but the real cost — the negative impact on customer loyalty — may turn out to be the real killer.

That’s according to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who suggests that around 5-7 million ex-Note 7 customers will become new iPhone 7 customers as a result of losing faith with the Samsung brand.

Facebook Messenger is getting a new Data Saver mode

By

Facebook
Facebook Messenger is going on a data diet.
Photo: Rob LeFabvre/Cult of Mac

Facebook Messenger can be a real data hog if you’re a frequent user — especially if you send and receive a lot of GIFs, images, and videos. But that’s going to change thanks to a new Data Saver feature that’s currently being tested on Android.

Apple Prime? Here’s why it might be a great idea

By

money
Would an Amazon Prime-style service work for Apple?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple should take a note out of Jeff Bezos’ playbook and launch an Amazon Prime-style subscription service, claims an analyst for Goldman Sachs.

“We think Apple should launch a subscription bundle as a way to reinforce iPhone loyalty and leverage it into content,” Simona Jankowski writes in a new note to clients. In the brief, Jankowski and colleagues ponder the potential of a $50 monthly subscription that would get customers the latest iPhone plus other services like Apple TV, Apple Music and freemium access to the iTunes library.

Access a massive media library for pennies a day [Deals]

By

Get a year of access to the largest library of streaming content in the world.
Get a year of access to the largest library of streaming content in the world.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Even the best streaming services can be a crapshoot when it comes to our favorite shows — one day they’re there, the next day they aren’t. Aren’t Netflix and Hulu supposed to have the biggest, most formidable libraries of content? Not exactly.

SelectTV by FreeCast boasts the world’s largest entertainment library, bringing the perks of both cable TV and web streaming, effectively dwarfing any competitor’s library. The same can’t be said of the price, though, because right now you can get a year of SelectTV for just $19 at Cult of Mac Deals.

This camera takes pictures in the blink of an eye

By

Wink and you've got the picture with the BLINCAM.
Wink and you've got the picture with the BLINCAM.
Photo: BLINCAM

The only thing that could possibly make photography easier is if we could just blink our eye to capture an image.

That is the idea behind BLINCAM, a small camera that attaches to the temple of your eyeglasses and snaps a picture every time you wink.

How Apple uses Jamaica to keep its secrets under wraps

By

Jamaica
The Jamaica-branded Apple Watch strap.
Photo: Apple

It’s well known that Apple, like many multinationals, uses a variety of non-U.S. countries to help reduce its tax bill. However, what is less well known is that the company also takes advantage of some interesting pieces of international legal minutiae to keep its future plans secret.

In particular, Apple is a big fan of Jamaica when it comes to filing trademark paperwork about its upcoming products — since Jamaica doesn’t easily provide would-be snoopers with a way to search databases about newly-filed information.

Apple’s Japanese R&D center will be dedicated to AI

By

Robot
Tim Cook is eying Japan for Apple's AI research hub.
Photo: Scott Schaut/Mansfield Memorial Museum

Apple’s new R&D base in Yokohama, Japan, will focus on artificial intelligence and other related technologies, Tim Cook has revealed.

The new facility is set to be completed by December, well ahead of the projected date of March 2017. In an interview with Nikkei Asian Review, Cook called it a center for “deep engineering,” and said it will be “very different” from the R&D centers Apple plans to build in China.

Does the new MacBook Pro need an OLED touchbar? [Friday Night Fights]

By

fnf1b
Useful upgrade or unnecessary gimmick?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s new MacBook Pro is right around the corner, if recent rumors are to be believed, and it’s shaping up to be one of the most significant refreshes we’ve seen in years. Spy photos all but confirm a new OLED touchbar is coming, but is this advanced hardware really necessary?

Friday Night Fights bug Those who are excited about it can see the how customizable function keys might improve their experience in macOS, while others believe it will be little more than a gimmick.

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we discuss whether the MacBook Pro really needs an OLED touchbar.

Dan the Man, RPG Creator and other awesome apps of the week

By

Awesome Apps
'Appy weekend all!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Looking to get up to speed on the week’s hottest apps? We’ve got your back!

Whether you’re looking for a useful way to sign PDFs from your iPhone, a great beat-em-up, or even the chance to build your own RPG from the ground-up, we’re confident we’ll have something that will tickle your fancy.

Check out our picks below.

Bluetooth lightbulbs, workout-proof headphones, and more [Week’s Best Deals]

By

These earphones won't tangle or catch as you go about your day
These earphones won't tangle or catch as you go about your day
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

We’re halfway through October and the new deals just keep coming. This week we’ve got a set of high definition, wireless Bluetooth headphones, a lifetime without streaming geo-restrictions, a 5-port car charger, and a 16-million color Bluetooth lightbulb. Read on for more details:

Turn your iPhone into a universal remote, and more [Week’s Best Deals]

By

Protect your browsing and bypass restrictions with a convenient and effective VPN
Protect your browsing and bypass restrictions with a convenient and effective VPN
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Another week, another delivery of great new deals to share with you. This time around, we’ve got a lifetime of virtual private network access, a coin-sized transmitter that turns your phone into a universal remote, a lifetime of password consolidation and protection, and a tough, water resistant wireless Bluetooth speaker. They’re all worth checking out and discounted by as much as 94 percent. Read on for more details:

How to take better photos and build an Instagram following, this week on The CultCast

By

Instagram photography tips
Better Instagram photography awaits you on The CultCast.
Photo: The Gilashark/Instagram

This week on The CultCast: Learn Instagram tips, tricks and techniques to take beautiful iPhone photos and build a massive following. Plus: The crazy exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 saga ends with a strange twist; rumors point to Macs with radically new e-ink keyboards; and an honest look at Siri versus the AI competition.

This episode is supported by CultCloth, the best way to keep your iPhone 7, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean. Check them out at CultCloth.co and for a limited time save 20 percent with code JetBlack.

HTC plans to copy iPhone 7’s most hated feature

By

The HTC Bolt in silver.
The HTC Bolt in silver.
Photo: Evleaks

Apple isn’t the only smartphone maker that wants to kill headphone jacks.

Removing the 3.5mm audio port from the iPhone 7 was the most controversial design decision Apple has made in years. Now some leaked photos have revealed that HTC plans to copy the move on its next flagship device.

Jet black iPhone 7 Plus is in stock at Apple stores — for now

By

jet black iphone 7 plus
The Jet Black iPhone will be a scratch-magnet.
Photo: Apple

Apple stores across the United States are suddenly flush with stock of the iPhone 7 Plus.

Finding the jet black iPhone 7 Plus at Apple retail outlets has been an impossible task ever since the device launched last month, but a site that monitors supply shows that tons of Apple stores just got the rare item in stock.

How to set up a blog in 20 minutes or less

By

With these tips, you can be running your own blog in no time.
With these tips, you can be running your own blog in no time.
Photo: Mila Supinskaya Glashchenko/Shutterstock

This post is brought to you by Websitesetup.org.

They say we’ve all got a book in us. And while not all of us will write that whole book, the internet makes it exceedingly simple for anybody with something to say to self-publish. Start a blog and you can say as much or as little as you like, at whatever pace suits you.

Blogging obviously isn’t new, but it hasn’t gone away either. And the tools for creating your own platform of online expression have never been easier to get hold of and use.

Samsung will take $5.3 billion hit from Note 7 recall

By

Galaxy Note 7 water wet
The Note 7 is all washed up.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Issuing a global recall for the Galaxy Note 7 is going to cost Samsung even more money than it expected.

Samsung released a statement to investors today revealing that its fiery phablet will hurt overall profits for the next two fiscal quarters, costing the company a total of $5.3 billion.

Tim Cook talks R&D, future collaboration with Japan’s prime minister

By

IMG_2287
Tim Cook and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe must be talking about the Note 7.
Photo: Sourikantei/Facebook

Apple CEO Tim Cook made a pit stop Friday at the office of Japan’s prime minister to talk about Apple’s growth in the country.

Cook told Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that Apple’s new R&D facility in Yokohama will be completed by December, well ahead of the projected date of March 2017. Apple says it hopes the new R&D facility near Tokyo will help it forge more local partnerships to source parts for future Apple products.

$770 off a Samsung 4K HD TV, $130 off Apple Watch and more [Deals]

By

Deals on Apple Watch Sport, the DJI Phantom 4 drone, and a Canon camera highlight this week’s best of the internet.
Deals on Apple Watch Sport, the DJI Phantom 4 drone, and a Canon camera highlight this week’s best of the internet.

The internet is going bananas with deals this week, with huge savings on Apple Watch Sport, one of Samsung’s flagship 4K HD TVs, and much more. We’ve scoured the web to find some of the best deals on things you might need, as well as some things you just might really want.