Sierra now comes with more emoji! Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple today rolled out its second macOS Sierra 10.12.2 beta, adding new emoji that will also make its way iPhone and iPad with iOS 10.2. The update also brings bug fixes and improves performance.
Lululemon and other retailers are offering Apple Pay deals. Photo: Apple
Looking to get the best deals on gifts this holiday season? Apple Pay may be the answer.
Apple has created a new promotion for Apple Pay on the Mac that gives shoppers tons of discounts at top retailers when you use Apple Pay. Shops like Adidas, Lululemon, Casper and Vacatia have teamed up with Apple on the promotion. And there’s more to come.
Help turn these awesome ideas into reality! Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
You can find some incredible new gadgets on Kickstarter and Indiegogo that often go unnoticed. We’re rounding up some of the best every week to help them get the funding they need to become a reality.
This week, MagSafe makes a comeback for the new generation of USB-C devices, we have an insanely useful popup display you can take just about anywhere, the “world’s most intuitive smart stylus,” and more.
Getting protection and anonymity for your online life doesn't have to cost your life's saving Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
The online world is a lot like the real one — full of positivity and peril alike, as many wonders as weirdos. That’s why signing on via a virtual private network (VPN) is a must: a secured, encrypted portal to the web that maintains anonymity, protects data sent and received, and sidesteps location restrictions on streaming content. That might sound like protection that will cost you, but nowhere near what you think and certainly much less than it’s worth. Right now you can get a lifetime of VPN protection for just $69 at Cult of Mac Deals.
The Note 7 is one of the biggest disasters in smartphone history. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Full-page ads are normally taken out by tech companies to promote their products or take swipes at rivals.
Samsung just shelled out to place full-page ads in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and the Washington Post to beg forgiveness for its disastrous Note 7 smartphone.
There's strong demand for the A10 Fusion chip inside iPhone 7. Photo: Apple
Strong demand for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus helped chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company achieve record profits for 2016. Not only is TSMC outperforming its rivals, but it now accounts for 16 percent of Taiwan’s entire equity market value.
Apple just made it a lot harder to hack the iPhone. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple has seriously stepped up its security game with iOS 10.2, according to a new report that found encrypted iTunes backups are now much more difficult to hack.
Apple News is about to get magazines too. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple’s News app is getting some much-needed help at selling ads.
Instead of continuing to sell advertising on its own, Apple has reportedly inked an exclusive deal with NBCUniversal that will allow the company to sell ads for the News app.
The new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is one step closer to shipping for those who got their order in early. Some customers have noticed that their credit cards were charged by Apple today, which means the first wave of shipments is coming.
The TV app is set to go public in December. Photo: Apple
Apple seeded a fresh batch of beta updates to developers this morning. Among the new goodies is the new TV app that was demoed during Apple’s October keynote.
The new TV app can be found in iOS 10 beta 2. Apple also added a couple of other new features to the beta, including a new SOS feature.
A mock up of Apple's proposed data center in Ireland. Photo: Apple
The fate of Apple’s proposed data center in Ireland is finally on the fast-track.
After facing an 18-month delay due to an appeal from two Irish residents, Ireland’s High Court agreed to Apple’s request to speed up the legal process. Now instead of waiting until 2018, the court has to resolve the case within six months.
One big reason why you'll want to try DirecTV Now. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
AT&T is planning to give away free Apple TVs to customers who sign up to DirecTV Now for at least three months, according to a new report. Those who commit to at least one month will receive a free Amazon Fire TV Stick.
This rugged Bluetooth speaker is designed to sound great while being impervious to the elements. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
The mobility of Bluetooth audio gets put out pretty quick when the rain starts falling. That’s why this rugged, weatherproof HomeSpot speaker was built to keep up with your outdoor adventures. It’s resistant to dust, dirt, and water, coated with a rubberized surface that makes it ideal for camping, rafting, whatever. And right now you can get a HomeSpot Bluetooth Speaker for just $29.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.
Gmail gets some much-needed love on iOS. Photo: Google
Google’s official Gmail app for iOS is finally getting some much-needed love. The latest update brings a “fresh new look” that makes Gmail feel like a real app that Google actually cares about — rather than just an ugly wrapper for a mobile webpage.
App developers may be rich, charismatic, good-looking and able to code (OK, so a significant portion only fall into one of these categories), but they’re also human — and that means criticism hurts.
With that in mind, a new video mines devs’ negative user reviews for comic gold by getting indie developers to read their own negative feedback in the App Store.
Feature could save lives, campaigners claim. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Relatives of four U.K. citizens who were killed by the driver of a truck as he used his phone while driving are campaigning for Apple to introduce a feature disabling drivers’ iPhones from working in the car.
“There is an epidemic of people using their phone at the wheel,” said Doug Houghton, who lost two of his sons in the incident. “And what do you do with epidemics? You cure them.”
Whether it was Slack’s CEO last week or SNL this past weekend, it seems the world can’t go more than a few days without paying homage to an iconic piece of Apple marketing.
In a new sketch for Saturday Night Live, none other than Benedict Cumberbatch stepped up to the plate bowl to offer a take on a futuristic toilet ad, which looks suspiciously like Ridley Scott’s “1984” ad for the original Macintosh.
Shure's MV51 microphone is MFi-certified and great for recording with an iPhone or iPad. Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
Best List: MV51 microphone by Shure
Looking like something Elvis Presley would rock, the Shure MV51 is a handsome, retro-styled microphone well-suited to podcasting with an iPad or iPhone. Sturdy and portable, I find it great for recording on the go. It’s small enough to throw into a jacket pocket and, because it’s made of all metal, it’s nigh indestructible.
Paired with an iPhone and Shure’s well-designed recording app, it’s a lot more compact than most podcasting rigs, and versatile enough for most recording situations. Best of all, the audio it captures sounds great.
Are you still excited by Apple in 2016? Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple might be the biggest company in tech, with revenues that make eyes water every quarter, but even some fans think it’s getting a little boring in Cupertino.
But was all that enough, or could Apple have done more? None of these releases were really that revolutionary, and investors are still waiting for Apple’s next big thing. So, is it true? Is Apple really boring now?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out over these questions and more!
'Appy weekend everyone! Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Want to find out which apps were gracing our iPhones, iPads and Macs this week? Check our list below.
From a search engine that will search every single thing to ever grace your Apple device to a couple of awesomely fun retro-inspired games, this is the perfect way to spend the remainder of your weekend.
Add a software layer to keep unwanted eyes and ears away from your Mac Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you’ve been keeping track of cybersecurity, there’s probably a small strip of tape covering up your webcam. This week’s latest raft of deals includes a software alternative to stickying up your camera, a cable that does double duty for iOS and Android devices, a bundle of training in coding for AI, and a powerful dashboard for getting the most out of YouTube. That’s a diverse bunch of goodies, all significantly cheaper than usual — read on for more details:
The reviews are in on Apple's new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar... Photo: @YSR50
This week on The CultCast: Get out your pitchforks — we’ll tell you why a lot of folks are very unhappy with the new MacBook Pros. Plus, we compare the MacBook Pro’s performance to older models and similarly priced machines; Apple calls it quits on external displays; and the end of an era — one of Mac’s most iconic features gets retired.
Our thanks to Casper for supporting this episode. Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of memory foam and latex, and people everywhere love them. Learn why and save $50 off your order at casper.com/cultcast.