The time I spend hacking away on my laptop at coffee shops, hotel lobbies and conference room floors I inevitably spot another MacBook user with a cooler-looking laptop than mine, filling me with envy.
Well, dbrand has the goods to make the other coffee shop patrons jealous.
Apple has seeded a new beta build of OS X El Capitan to developers this morning in the form of OS X 10.11.4 beta 4.
The new beta build can be downloaded directly from Apple’s Developer Member Center, or via the Software Update option in the Mac App Store if your Mac is already rolling on the last El Capitan beta.
A big batch of new beta software has landed on Apple’s Developer Center today.
The fourth beta builds of iOS 9.3, tvOS 9.2 and watchOS 2.2 are now available for developers to test bringing a host of new features to the iPhone like NightShift mode, improved Apple News and Apple Music apps, and some great education features for iPad.
The FBI claims there’s absolutely no other way for it to access San Bernardino terrorist Syed Rizwan Farook’s iPhone 5c expect other having Apple create a backdoor. But according to Edward Snowden there’s at least one other option: acid and lasers.
The former NSA contractor and privacy activist appeared in a virtual talk at Johns Hopkins University and pointed out that even though FBI insists forcing Apple to hack the iPhone is the only way forward, that’s simply not true.
According to Tim Cook, Apple is working alongside Steve Jobs’ family to come up with an idea for the “right way” to pay tribute to him with Apple’s upcoming “spaceship campus.”
In an interview with Fortune, Cook confirmed that, “We will definitely honor [Steve] in the right kind of way,” with the new campus — whose opening has reportedly been delayed from 2016 until early 2017.
Our computers are thinner than ever, but also deeper, meaning getting to the bottom of a problem takes expertise or just the right tool. TechTool Pro 8 goes beyond basic diagnostics to plumb your system’s inner workings, even testing the motherboard, to keep your Mac running at peak performance. Whether you’re using one computer or several, this is a tune-up kit worth getting. And right now you can get a copy of TechTool Pro 8 for just $39.99.
Carol Adams’ son, Robert Adams, was among the 14 people killed by Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife on December 2 in San Bernardino, but she doesn’t think the FBI should force Apple to hack the terrorist’s iPhone.
Adams said she stands by Apple’s decision to fight the FBI’s demands to weaken the iPhone’s security in order to access information on Farook’s locked iPhone, explaining that the constitutional right to privacy “is what makes America great to begin with.”
Tim Cook doubled down on his privacy position this morning, refusing to give in to the FBI’s demands to create an iOS backdoor so the bureau can unlock the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone.
In an email to employees with the subject line “Thank you for your support,” the Apple CEO says the company’s battle is about much more than a single iPhone or single investigation.
Samsung may have “borrowed” Apple’s Upgrade Program for its new Galaxy S7 handset, but one thing it seemingly can’t copy is Apple’s perfectionist approach to design.
New photos popping up online highlight how Samsung just can’t seem to afford the ruler it would require to get all of its Galaxy S7 ports, microphones, speakers and jacks to properly line up with one another.
Check out the photos below.
Tim Cook sent out an email to all Apple employees this morning, thanking them for their support and outlining the reasons why the FBI’s court order needs to be dropped.
“This case is about much more than a single phone or a single investigation, so when we received the government’s order we knew we had to speak out,” Cook wrote. “At stake is the data security of hundreds of millions of law-abiding people, and setting a dangerous precedent that threatens everyone’s civil liberties.”
Author of brainy best-sellers The Name of the Rose and Foucault’s Pendulum died late last week, and was heavily eulogized over the weekend in pretty much every major newspaper around the world.
But while most people (understandably) focused on his status was one of Italy’s best-known literary exports, did you know that Eco also once wrote an essay about the benefits of Mac OS versus MS-DOS? It’s pretty much the academic’s answer to those classic Mac vs. PC TV commercials.
Apple Pay may have finally launched in China, but it seems that Apple flinched first in its negotiations with Chinese banks over their adoption of the service.
At least, that’s according to a new report — citing “people with knowledge of the matter” — which claims that Apple will only earn about half of what it does in the U.S. for every Apple Pay transaction in China.
The director of the FBI has written an impassioned open letter to Apple, asking it to go along with the recent court order to unlock the iPhone at the center of the San Bernardino shooting investigation.
James Comey writes that the FBI, “isn’t about trying to set a precedent or send any kind of message. It is about the victims and justice.”
Check out the rest of his open letter below:
Samsung has launched its own Upgrade Program alongside the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge to make it easier for fans to get their hands on its latest devices.
It comes in response to Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program, but it’s nowhere near as good.
Mobile World Congress doesn’t officially begin until tomorrow — and yet Samsung has already stolen the show with its new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.
Packing improved designs that are IP68-certified for water-resistance, always-on displays, and stellar specifications, these are the South Korean company’s best smartphones yet.
Read on to find out what you get under the hood, and when they’ll be available.
The weekend is halfway over and — if the weather in your area is anything as dismal as it is in mine — thoughts naturally turn to amusing ourselves with the latest apps.
But which ones to sample? Whether you’re looking for a clever translation app, one of the best games of the year so far, or a nifty tool for blasting music from any Bluetooth speaker in your house, we’ve got something for you.
Check out our picks below.
We all travel. We all drink coffee. We all use power. We all use the bathroom. And right now we’ve got deals on gear that’ll give you a new way to do all of the above. Skeptical? Take a look for yourself.
LG is kicking off Mobile World Congress early this year with the anticipated unveiling of its new G5.
The device sports impressive specifications and an all-new modular design made out of metal, which lets users slot accessories into its bottom edge. LG calls these add-ons “Friends,” and you’ll be amazed at what they can do.
An odd assortment of purported artefacts from Steve Jobs’s wilderness years – including a pair of his rated running sandals – were sold at auction today. And while it’s not entirely clear who bought them, all of the disparate items, dating back to Steve Jobs’s NeXT years, still ended up earning a pretty penny.
Stellar Wanderer gets right into the action with space battles from the very first mission, which takes place in the full 360 degrees of your spaceship viewport.
You’ll take to the vastness of interstellar space, populated by huge space stations, rugged traders, and (obviously) hordes of space pirates to complete missions given to you by mysterious individuals and then taking the reward money to upgrade your craft and piloting skills.
There’s a lot of space in space, and you’ll feel every kilometer of it when you drop into Stellar Wanderer on your iPhone or iPad.
Check out the gorgeous launch trailer below.
LED light bulbs are at the point where there’s just no good reason not to switch over. The A19 ilumi LED Smartbulb embodies what’s best about this new energy-efficient, longer lasting light source, lasting up to 20 years and with 5 times the energy efficiency of a standard bulb. That isn’t even the half of what this awesome bulb can do, and right now you can get one for just $44.99.
This week on The CultCast: Major MacBook Pro and Air redesigns may be coming in June; the magic of the MagSafe adapter; the best Mac for college; Apple versus the FBI; Apple explains “Error 53” and offers up a fix; and stay tuned for our favorite shows and apps in an all-new What We’re Into!
Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to build a website that looks beautiful on any device that visits at Squarespace.com. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10 percent off.
Tim Cook sparked an internet controversy when he penned his open letter to Apple customers about why the tech giant was pushing back against a court order to create an FBI-friendly version of its iOS software.
Find out more about Apple’s epic battle over iPhone encryption, along with how to unlock your iPhones secret emoticons, 10 hard drive space-saving tips, the best news and RSS apps for your iOS devices, and a bit about John McAfee’s bid to hack the iPhone for the FBI.
All that and much more in this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine. Here are the top stories this week.
It’s been a crazy day for news in the case of Apple v. the federal government in the battle over the data contained on a mass-shooter’s iPhone, and some surprising facts are emerging between the two side’s shots at each other.
Today, we saw the Justice Department double down on the original court order, some predictable antics from presidential candidate Donald Trump, and Apple’s responses to both. But we’re also picking up some interesting details that make this already complicated issue even murkier. And things aren’t quite as simple as either side is claiming.
Here are some of the most surprising aspects of this case that have come out in the past few days.
Apple doesn’t seem terribly concerned with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s call for a boycott of its products. If anything, it seems pretty proud to have drawn the controversial frontrunner’s ire.
During a phone conversation with reporters shortly after Trump’s call went out, senior Apple executives made their feelings about the campaign known — and their feelings are pretty funny.