This week on The CultCast: Rumors point to an insanely thin iPhone 7, but what about battery life? Plus: Our list of most-wanted iPhone 7 features; why only some of us are excited for iPhone SE; why the new iPad may have a killer new camera; and if you want to hear Leander complain about Mariah Carey and Maroon 5, stay tuned for Leander Loves Pop!
With Bendgate not that far behind us, is it really wise for Apple to contemplate an even thinner iPhone?
Sure, it’s an easy selling point for new iPhones, but thinner can also mean more bendable. Take a look at this age-old Apple theme in this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine, along with 10 fantastically useful mobile Safari tips, a way to find out if you’ve been infected by sneaky adware, five amazingly great new iOS games, and some awesome product reviews to help inform your purchasing plans.
All this, and much much more, in Cult of Mac Magazine, free for your perusal right now.
Here are the top stories of the week:
It’s only been around for about 33 hours, and it was off for nine of them, but Apple’s official support Twitter account has averaged about 1.8 tweets per minute since it premiered yesterday morning.
That amounts to a total (as of this writing) of 3,492 posts, most of which are in direct reply to iDevice users who could use a hand.
Swipe left for no, swipe right for yes. That’s how Tinder used to work.
Now you’ll be able to send Tinder profiles along to your friends, playing matchmaker along the way, with a little tap on a Share icon, which is rolling out to users as we speak.
When you find that cute person you think would be perfect for your BFF, you can now send his or her Tinder profile along. You’ll get dibs at the front table for the wedding, of course.
Endless runner games have done exceptionally well on the App Store for a long time. I was introduced to the concept when I played Mirror’s Edge on the PlayStation, and have been hooked on this type of game ever since.
Endless runners leave you little time to make decisions, and that makes these games exciting — and sometimes frustrating!
As Apple prepares to take on its first quarter of falling iPhone sales, we’re all wondering what it will do to prevent another one. Some sources say the Cupertino company has something special up its sleeve for this fall’s iPhone refresh.
No, I’m not talking about the 4-inch iPhone SE; I’m referring to the rumored “iPhone Pro,” a second Plus-sized iPhone that will pack two rear-facing cameras and other nice new features aimed at professional photographers — and those who lust after Pro Apple products.
But would an iPhone Pro be a good idea? Would it boost iPhone sales and breathe new life into Apple’s smartphone lineup, or would it simply create confusion?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we bicker like schoolchildren over those questions and more!
This post is brought to you by Avi, maker of Smart-Spools.
“Cable organizers” is one of those useful product categories that no one can quite seem to get right. The engineering problem seems simple enough: Give me a way to neatly wrap up and stow my peripherals, like earbuds and power cables, ideally in a form that’s compact and not overly complicated to use.
Many have tried, but too often — whether due to improper sizing or an emphasis on form over function — cable organizers end up being less convenient than simply wrapping your headphones around a few fingers and stuffing them in your pocket.
Smart-Spools finally got it right, though.
We’ve already watched the Galaxy S7 batter the iPhone 6s in a series of camera tests, but how well does it stack up against a professional DSLR? When it comes to phase detection autofocus, surprisingly well, actually.
See Samsung’s new smartphone make the Nikon 70D look bad in the mind-blowing autofocus test below.
Once a year, I head into the backwoods outside of Anchorage and spend a week or so at a public-use cabin by a lake to unplug and clear my head of the necessary evils of urban living.
There’s no running water, no electricity, no internet. It’s delightful, but it takes some planning to keep my iPhone charged up in case of emergency.
I can’t wait to take this rugged, high-capacity, waterproof backup battery with me this year, as it’s the perfect companion for a modern outdoor adventure.
Ready to get your adventure game on? Thimbleweed Park, coming later this year, could be your ticket to doing just that.
Back in 1987, Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick created Maniac Mansion, the classic LucasArts adventure tale. Now they’re back with Thimbleweed Park, a charming indie adventure game that hopefully brings the genre into the modern world, leaving behind the random puzzles and dead ends of days past.
Check out the new trailer below to see what’s headed our way.
With millions of people using tvOS, it’s earned its bona fides as a major platform. Whether you’re an experienced developer looking for new territory or you’re just interested in learning, this bundle of courses clocking in at 35 hours is a great primer for coding in tvOS. It covers everything from the basics to creating multiplayer games, turning iPhone apps into tvOS apps and more, and right now you can get access for just $29.
Here’s some of what’s included:
Do you know your “Brighton” from your “Copper?” How about debating the merits of “Eagle” over “Castlerock?”
Every geek worth their salt loves a good code name, and just because Apple (unlike Android), never publicly refers to its mobile OS versions by names rather than numbers doesn’t mean it doesn’t have them.
You can check out the full list below. Who knows, maybe casually name-dropping “Innsbruck” like you’re a real insider will let you slip past the security guards at Apple HQ?
Sometimes, work is boring. You might need a distraction from whatever routine task you’re doing on your Mac, like entering data into a spreadsheet or replying to email. Netflix is a great idea, but you have to portion your screen or move windows around in order to both watch a show on Netflix as well as get your work done.
Not anymore, though, as NEnhancer lets you use the magical power of Chrome to get a Netflix movie or TV show in a small window that will float on top of any other apps you’re running, making sure your Netflix video running in the foreground on your Mac.
Just be sure to actually get your work finished, too.
France’s lower house of parliament has passed an amendment which could see Apple charged heavy fines, and even handed out jail time, if it fails to hand over encrypted data as part of government investigations.
The amendment affects both tech and telecoms companies. The punishment could reach up to €350,000 ($385,000) and five years in jail, although a proposed amendment asking the French government to hand out fines of €1 million was rejected.
Apple is planning to import and sell refurbished iPhones in India as a way of getting its handsets into more people’s hands.
“An application from Apple regarding import of certified pre-owned iPhones for sale in India and manufacturing certified pre-owned iPhones for sale in India has been received in the ministry of environment and forests,” telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today.
The oddball collection of Steve Jobs-inspired musicals is set to gain another entry this month, as new “original pop-rock musical” The Crazy Ones makes it debut at 54 Below — the supper club beneath the legendary Studio 54 — in New York City.
Taking its name from a line in Apple’s iconic “Think Different” ad campaign, the musical tells the story of a young Steve Jobs being driven out of Apple — although the wording on its press release makes it sound oddly like the trailer for a 1980s horror movie.
The FBI is unlikely to give up trying to pry its way into iPhones even if it loses the current standoff with Apple over encryption, says security expert Bruce Schneier.
Schneier, who is one of the leading experts on modern cryptography, says it is “clear that the San Bernardino case was preselected as a legal precedent case” by the bureau — despite the fact that FBI Director James Comey has claimed this is not the case (only to later contradict himself.)
iPhone sales may be set to level off this year, according to Tim Cook, but don’t think that Apple handsets are entering an irreversible decline.
According to the latest forecast from analysts at IDC, in their Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, iPhone growth should return as soon as 2017 — thanks to Apple’s trade-in programs and expansion into new markets outside the United States.
Government officials seem to be in some kind of race to see which of them can be the most indignant and/or outraged at Apple’s refusal to create security-bypassing software for its devices. And we’re pretty sure Rep. David Jolly has just won.
Jolly, who represents Florida’s 13th District, submitted a bill Wednesday that would make it illegal for any federal office to own or lease Apple products until Cupertino gives in to the FBI’s demands. And he did so because state-sponsored blacklisting of organizations that legally disagree with the government is exactly how free countries work.
Companies and organizations have filed over a dozen amicus briefs supporting Apple in its showdown with the FBI over phone encryption. Filers include law professors, rights organizations, and some of the biggest companies in the world.
This outpouring of support is just the latest in a series of apparent victories for Apple in its fight to keep its devices secure.
As it turns out, Apple is not ready for some football.
The iPhone-maker was expected to be among a number of tech giants bidding for the streaming rights to 18 regular season football games this year, but it appears the company has decided to pass on the option to bid, figuring it wouldn’t be a big enough draw for the Apple TV platform.
If you’re in the (presumably small) subset of people who are both looking forward to the upcoming Batman vs. Superman film and still playing the Injustice: Gods Among Us iOS game, you’ll be excited to know that a new update has tossed the two properties together like some kind of super salad.
The film’s release is still three weeks away, but the clash of heroes could be happening in your iPhone or iPad right now if you don’t mind putting in some work. Check out the new characters in action in the trailer below.
The Amazon Echo has quickly become one of our favorite gadgets thanks to its accompanying digital assistant Alexa that makes it easy to do everything from ordering new laundry detergent to checking the news. Today the service is getting even better with two new gadgets that essentially split the Echo into two parts: Tap and Dot.
Amazon divvied up what the original Echo did by creating the Echo Dot ($89) that can hear your commands from anywhere in the room, it just doesn’t have great speakers like the original, while the Amazon Tap boasts great speakers for only $129, but you have to push a button on the top of the device to give it commands.
If you’re hoping to get your hands on an Echo Dot you’ll need to own an Alexa device (the original Echo, or a Kindle Fire tablet). However, anyone can pre-order the Amazon Tap right now.
Here’s a teaser:
Grocery shopping isn’t anyone’s favorite activity — and while using a list can make it a bit more manageable, constantly pulling out your iPhone to check items off can be inconvenient. However, creating an iOS grocery list in the Reminders app and syncing it with your Apple Watch can streamline the process significantly.
While walking through a local grocery store, I found myself pulling out my iPhone, launching Fantastical 2 and systematically checking things off as normal. I then remembered that my Apple Watch also had Fantastical 2 built right in, so I figured I would give that a go this time.
After a little experimenting, I figured out the perfect way to interact with checklists in Fantastical 2 on my Apple Watch.
While Apple is embroiled in an ugly battle with the FBI in the hope that it can protect the privacy and security of its users, Amazon is throwing away the encryption it previously offered its own.
With its latest Fire OS 5 update, the company has removed the ability to encrypt data on its Fire tablets.