Apple thinks the FBI should never have brought a case against it in the first place. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
The Justice Department may have dropped its suit against Apple after successfully gaining access to the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, but according to Apple the case should never have been brought to begin with.
In a statement, Apple doubles-down on its beliefs about the importance of user privacy. Check out the company’s words of wisdom below:
The FBI didn't need Apple's help after all. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The Department of Justice has removed all legal action against Apple after the FBI successfully hacked the San Bernardino terrorist’s iPhone without assistance from Cupertino.
Apple and the FBI have been fighting a very public legal battle over whether the government can force the iPhone-maker to create a backdoor into iOS. Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly defied a federal court order to deliberately weaken iOS security for millions of users, but it appears that the feds are backing down — at least for now.
If you use the default iOS Mail app on a regular basis, you definitely need to learn these tips and tricks. Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor
No matter how many email apps I try, I just keep coming back to the stock iOS Mail app. While some of the things I’ve come to love about the iPhone’s built-in Mail app are obvious, some are not — such as shortcuts or gestures that make using it even more intuitive. Here are a few favorite iOS Mail tips I think everyone should know.
Apple makes higher margins when you buy more memory. Photo: Apple
Upgrading to an iPhone with 64GB of storage will cost you an extra $100, but Apple actually only spends about a tenth of that to pay for the bigger memory chips.
With the iPhone 6s and new iPhone SE both starting with a paltry 16GB, shelling out the extra cash for more space is practically a no-brainer, and that plays right into Apple’s plan to milk the margins on its higher end models.
tvOS changes the default scrubbing behavior of your Siri Remote, and we couldn't be more glad. Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
There’s a new Apple TV update in town, and it adds a few obvious features, like Bluetooth keyboard support and Siri Dictation in search and user name/password fields.
tvOS 9.2 also has some less-obvious improvements, though. For instance, it’s easy to locate the exact spot you want to find in any video. Here’s how to scrub through video on Apple TV with your Siri Remote in tvOS 9.2.
Stream your favorite playlists with the E3. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
These days, very few of us actually purchase individual albums or singles, thanks to the growing popularity of subscription-based services such as Apple Music and Spotify. Playing these streaming services through Bluetooth speakers is just as easy as playing them from your iPhone. But what if you want to play your favorite Spotify playlists without having your phone glued to you?
Introducing the GGMM E3 Wi-Fi Smart Cloud speaker. I admit, I’d never heard of GGMM either. Launching on Kickstarter last week, the E3 boasts a ton of features to earn the “smart” title, including cloud music play, favorites, multiroom play and much more.
Check out the video after the jump to see it in action.
Get your iOS device up to date fast and easy. Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
A fix for the Activation Lock bug that plagued older devices that upgraded to iOS 9.3 has been released by Apple this morning, after the company pulled iOS 9.3 availability on select iPhones and iPads last week.
Apple pushed out iOS 9.3 build 13E237 to iPad Air and earlier models, as well as the iPhone 5s and earlier models. The previous build bricked those models during Activation Mode due to failed password authorization.
If you have an iPhone running iOS 9.3, whatever you do, do not install the Booking.com app.
iPhone users are reporting that an iOS 9.3 bug, possibly related to the Booking.com app, causes some apps to freeze and crash when tapping on links — and it’s not entirely clear what’s causing it.
Scalpers will give you a discount on the iPhone SE. Photo: Apple
The iPhone SE may look tiny, but it’s already become a big hit in China.
Apple’s new iPhone doesn’t hit stores until March 31st, however, pre-orders for the iPhone SE have already topped 3.4 million in China according to early estimates that show the iPhone SE will be much better received than the iPhone 5c.
iMyfone Umate makes maximum use of the precious data space on your iOS device. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
The small profile of the iPhone, iPad and iPod holds a ton of data, and it can get cramped in there. iMyfone makes a pair of products that are unparalleled in their ability to dig deep into the confines of iOS devices, clean out needless data, organize what’s there, and protect what you need to keep. Right now both are going for a fraction of the usual price, take a look:
While the iPhone 7 might look much like current models, Apple reportedly is planning a big change for 2017. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The iPhone may finally ditch its metal casing in 2017 in favor of a new curved glass body similar to the one on Samsung’s Galaxy S7 edge.
Apple’s next big redesign of the iPhone is slated for next year, reports KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who claims in his latest note to investors that Apple will pair the new case design with a 5.8-inch AMOLED display.
'Appy weekend everyone! Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
With the new iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro announced, it was a big week for Apple. But it’s also been a good seven days for developers, with a slew of super-awesome apps arriving in the App Store for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.
Whether you’re looking for a great productivity tool for staying on top of task management, a fantastic port of an arcade classic, or the best weather app for Apple TV, check out our “app of the week” picks below.
It doesn’t look like any camera you’ve ever seen, and that’s because it’s not. The Lytro makes images that can be refocused after they’re shot, even moved around in 3 dimensions. These “living” pictures have made the Lytro one of the most envy-worthy pieces of photo gear, and right now you can get one for just $369.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.
Word, Excel, Outlook, the many faces of Microsoft Office are familiar to anyone who works in a professional office. But being fluent is what counts when you want to get the gig, and this bundle of course will make sure you get there quickly. These lessons will also prep you for the certification exams that will prove your chops, and right now you can get them for just $29 at Cult of Mac Deals.
The iPad Pro is even better when it's cheap. Photo: Apple
This week on The CultCast: Apple’s new iPhone SE is an insane value; the significant differences between the big and small iPad Pros; new rumors point to major MacBook Pro redesigns in June; future keynotes need more yak; and the cool features in the new tvOS 9.2 update.
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
Size does matter, in fact. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Once again, Apple has refreshed its iPhone and iPad line with some better (albeit smaller) iOS devices, the iPhone SE and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro.
If you’re looking for all the details on these two new gadgets, or just want to know which is the right iPad or iPhone for you, be sure to grab this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine, which also includes all the cool things you can do with iOS 9.3, a look at Cupertino’s new Apple Watch pivot, and a deeper dive on the keynote itself.
If you have some minor skills and patience, you can save yourself about $40. Photo: Okinawan Matt (via YouTube)
We got our first look at a new line of straps for the Apple Watch this week. But if you’re a little bit handy and want a cool weekend project, you can make your own nylon Apple Watch band for about a tenth of the cost of buying one directly.
The new series of Woven Nylon bands that Apple showed off at its event on Monday were nice and all, but what if you didn’t see a color that struck you? One enterprising YouTuber posted a tutorial that shows how to get one in just about any style you want by repurposing some cheap, existing watch straps.
Apple would like to let a case in Brooklyn cool off for a bit. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The FBI aren’t the only people interested in postponing court proceedings this week — Apple just requested a hold in its ongoing case in Brooklyn over a criminal’s locked phone.
Magistrate Judge James Orenstein has already ruled in Apple’s favor, saying that the government could not compel the company to breach its own software. But the government is appealing that decision, and Apple would like to see if some recent developments in a similar case might render a new decision unnecessary.
Ummm ... spoilers? Thanks a lot, guys. Photo: Google
Google Maps has rolled out something special for the premiere of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice this weekend: You can take a stroll around the film versions of Bruce Wayne’s house and Batman’s lair through Street View.
The tour contains a lot of surprises for long-time Batfans who have been keeping cold on the new film. For one thing, did you know that Batman is secretly Bruce Wayne? It’s crazy. Even stranger than that is the fact that while the film places Gotham City somewhere in New Jersey, Google Maps puts it on the border of a dog park in southern Michigan.
Other tech CEOs are following Tim's lead. Photo: Apple
Tim Cook is a better leader than U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, but Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is the best of them all in a new poll ranking the leaders in business, government, philanthropy and the arts.
Looking for some great iPhone photography accessories for your gear bag? Here are the best tripods and mounts! Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor
In a few weeks, my partner and I are heading to London and Iceland for a two-week vacation. While London definitely isn’t a first for us, Iceland is. This trip also marks another important first for me: It’s the very first time I’m leaving my DSLR at home. I’ll be relying solely on my iPhone 6s Plus for all my photos.
Netflix wants to serve you offline. Photo: Netflix
AT&T and Verizon usually get all the blame when it comes to throttling mobile data speeds, but in the case of Netflix, the service has revealed that it is to blame for lowering the video quality on mobile streaming videos.
Netflix says it has been limiting video speaks on AT&T, Verizon, and most other wireless carriers across the globe for the last five years, in order to “protect consumers from exceeding mobile data caps” that would stop them from binging on all of the service’s shows.
The Woodline case by Pad & Quill will class up your iPhone with ease. Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
Best List: Woodline iPhone Case by Pad & Quill
I’m generally of the function-over-form sake when I choose an iPhone case, but this delightfully thin Rosewood iPhone case has me rethinking that.
It’s not just that it’s thin — it’s classy. The deep brown hues and real woodgrain transform my iPhone 6 Plus from an object of tech-envy into more of a naturally lust-worthy product.
Crack! This one's got to go back to Apple. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Apple is making it cheaper to repair broken Apple Watch Sport units that are no longer under warranty.
In an updated support document covering Apple Watch warranty services and pricing, the company revealed the out-of-warranty service fee on the Sport model has dropped $30.
Colorful early iMacs are among the technological wonders on display in the Apple Pop Up exhibit at the Computer Museum of America. Photo: Computer Museum of America
Phil Schiller says Apple is too busy “inventing the future” to “celebrate the past” by building a museum.
So if you are in search of history on the 40th anniversary of Apple’s founding, you might want to travel to Georgia. There, a guy named Lonnie Mimms has taken over an old CompUSA building and meticulously crafted a tangible timeline that would make Apple’s futurists — perhaps even Schiller — pause with nostalgia and pride.