Ready to grab an iPad Pro? There's a deal for you. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
We’ve recently seen the first deals on both unlocked and subsidized iPhone SEs, plus the lowest price we’ve ever seen for the iPad Pro 13-inch 128GB Wi-Fi. These deals and more are in this roundup of the best Apple deals you’ll find online this week.
iPhone will never be 100 percent hacker-proof. Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac
The iPhone unlocking tool used by the FBI to unlock the San Bernardino terrorist’s iPhone 5c can only be used on “a narrow slice of phones” the agency admitted.
FBI director James Comey revealed that litigation between Apple and the federal government has ended, but the tool the agency purchased to unlock the device does not work on the iPhone 5s or newer iPhones, including the iPhone SE.
So comfy, you'll forget you're wearing them, except for all the music. Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
Best List: Sphear in-ear monitors by Focal
When I think earbuds, I don’t think comfort. They’re light and let you take naps while in, but there’s really only so long I can handle keeping them in my ears.
That’s why this new set of “in-ear monitors,” called Sphear is so exciting — I’ve had them in to watch Netflix on an iPad, gone for a long training run, and just wore them around the house while working and making dinner for my kids.
Every time I put them in, they impress me with their balanced tone and high-quality sound. Most of all, though, I forget I’m wearing them. They’re that comfortable.
Facebook Messenger is more and more becoming my default chat tool as it’s the one app most of my buddies have, either on their laptop or mobile device, regardless of platform.
Thing is, Messenger filters a bunch of messages you’ve received, and I’m willing to bet you didn’t even know they were there.
If you want to find all those hidden Facebook messages, here’s how.
Take your iPhone or iPad to the next level with these cool accessories. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
You love your iPhone, you love your iPad, but what if you could make them even more worthy of your (let’s be honest, slightly creepy) affection?
We’ve found four peripherals that’ll enhance, protect and expand the capabilities of your favorite iDevice. From glow-in-the-dark charging cables to slim charging cases and flexible mounts, there’s something here anybody can enjoy. Take a look!
See your LendingClub, Prosper and Funding Circle portfolios at a glance. Photo: LendingRobot
LendingRobot today launched a pretty important mobile app for peer lenders. It’s LendingRobot Dashboard, and it lets these lenders monitor all their portfolios across three separate services: LendingClub, Prosper and Funding Circle. It’s the only mobile app available that allows investors to connect from across multiple marketplaces and see their portfolios at a glance.
Reddit: The Official App is finally here! Photo: RedditReddit: The Official App is finally here! Photo: Reddit
Well over a year after snapping up Alien Blue, the most popular third-party Reddit client for mobile, Reddit has finally launched its official client app.
Customers who download Reddit: The Official App in its first week will receive three free months of Reddit Gold, giving them an ad-free Reddit experience when using the mobile app, as well as additional features when browsing Reddit on a desktop or laptop.
President Barack Obama is playing it cool when it comes to encryption. Photo: Pete Souza/Wikipedia CC
The White House is refusing to publicly support new draft legislation that would give judges the right to force tech companies like Apple to help law enforcement break encrypted data.
The measure was put forward by Sens. Richard Burr and Dianne Feinstein, respectively the Republican chair and top Democrat of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Both Burr and Feinstein have been contacted by the FBI regarding a briefing on how the bureau was able to circumvent iPhone encryption on an older Apple device.
Remember when hackers were the good guys? Photo: Hackers, United Artists
The FBI’s not cluing Apple in on how it allegedly hacked the iPhone 5c at the heart of the San Bernardino investigation, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happy to spill the secret to select members of Congress.
According to new reports, the feds have began briefing certain anti-encryption U.S. senators about the way in which it managed to access data on the handset belonging to shooter Syed Farook.
Apple will make Coachella a more enjoyable experience for attendees. Photo: Square
Apple is all about music these days, which is why it makes perfect sense that the company would be keen to target the hip, young, presumably disposable-incomed revelers at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Thanks to Square, Coachella’s official point-of-sale provider, attendees will be able to use Apple Pay to buy food, drinks and other assorted merchandise, while the festival is also building iBeacon support into its official app.
Finally the reason for no native calculator app adds up. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
As crazy as it sounds given the wide range of use-cases Apple makes possible with the iPad, it has never shipped with a built-in calculator app. And, according to a recent post on Twitter from a user claiming to be an ex-Apple employee, we may finally have an explanation.
Shock horror: it involves Steve Jobs being a perfectionist.
Apple's most fashion-conscious bands yet. Photo: Apple
Apple is about to introduce new color options and buying options to its celebrated Apple Watch Hermès collection — allowing customers to, for the first time ever, purchase the bands separately.
The new color options are available in the Single Tour, Double Tour and Cuff configurations, and come in Bleu Paon (green), Bleu Saphir (blue), Blanc (white), and Feu (orange) colors.
We’re excited for the completion of Apple Campus 2, if only to see the amazing, time-lapse clip somebody is sure to cobble together from all of those in-progress drone videos. And the new facilities are so close to completion that the company has already started picking out furniture.
The main building is huge, and it’s going to need a lot of desks and chairs, sure. But it will also include some common areas, and Apple’s ordering up 500 custom-made “Pod Island” tables from Dutch manufacturer Arco to give its employees someplace to hang out, mingle, and collaborate.
The transforming Mi Pad 2 in its "normal" state. Photo: Hugo Barra
It’s not every day you see a tablet transform into a, well, a Transformer. But that’s exactly what we’re going to show you today, after Xiaomi VP Hugo Barra shared photos of a Mi Pad 2 that morphs into a robot.
Fans of the Transformers universe, whether that be the original cartoons back in the 1980s or the more recent reboots of the franchise, will no doubt agree that this is about as awesome as the Mi Pad 2 gets.
It's way less awkward without the sound. Photo: Apple
Drake’s apparently making bank off of a recent Apple Music ad featuring Taylor Swift faceplanting onto a treadmill.
The video launched less than a week ago on April 1, and since it went live, iTunes sales of Drake’s song “Jumpman,” which features prominently in the spot, have more than quadrupled, Billboard reports. And the playlist Swift pulls up to motivate herself for her cardio workout is showing pretty good numbers on Apple’s streaming service, too.
If you aren’t one of the millions of people who has already seen the Apple Music ad, you can check it out below.
The 'iPhone 6 SE' has a 4-inch screen with an iPhone 6 body. Photo: Computer Bild
The design of the iPhone SE is a bit stale for some Apple fans, but if you’re dying for a 4-inch iPhone that comes with the sleek curves of the iPhone 6 and 6s some determined modders from Germany have found the perfect solution.
Unhappy with the iPhone SE body, Computer Bild managed to take extract its guts and shove them into one of those fake 4-inch iPhone 6 housings from China we spotted last month. After more than two hours of careful modding, the end result is the iPhone SE Apple should have built. Better yet, it actually works.
You can watch the madness unfold below, but this is one mod you might not want to try at home.
Just one day after reports came out of a Siri exploit that left iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users’ photos and contacts accessible without a passcode, Apple has adjusted its digital assistant’s behavior to close the hole.
Apple has extended service on the Smart Keyboard for iPad Pro to address "functional issues." Photo: Ally Kazmucha/The App Factor
Back in November, I purchased a 12.9-inch iPad Pro and a Smart Keyboard to go with it. I was so used to my Belkin keyboard paired with my iPad Air 2 that I quickly became frustrated with the Smart Keyboard’s lack of a shortcut row. Before long, I returned the Smart Keyboard (and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro).
Lyrical School is ready to assault you with wackiness. Photo: Lyrical School
Making a music video that shines bright in the vibrant Japanese-pop market isn’t easy, but if your band needs some tips, look no further than the amazingly whacky video the group Lyrical School just dropped.
Rather than filming the video for their first single ‘Run and Run’ in normal landscape format, the crew pulls off a brilliant trick by shooting in vertical mode to make it look like your iPhone has been hacked while you’re watching.
The effect isn’t quite as immersive if your iPhone language isn’t set to Japanese, but the attention to detail is pretty impressive and highlights Twitter, iOS 9.3’s Night Shift mode, Live Photos, and more.
Make sure you watch the video below on your iPhone:
Tim Cook has a statue of Robert F. Kennedy in his office. Photo: ABC News/"World News Tonight with David Muir"
The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights has added Apple CEO Tim Cook to its board of directors to help the organization in its pursuit of a more just and peaceful world.
The International human rights organization that was founded by Bobby Kennedy’s family 50 years ago honored Cook last year with the Ripple of Hope Award, now Cook will help carry on his personal hero’s unfinished work of fighting against oppression for all people.
It's that simple! Video: Domino'sIt’s that simple! Video: Domino’s
When that pizza craving hits, the faster you get your hands on a slice of pie, the better. Don’t waste any time when ordering your next one, then — use Zero Clicks.
With this new service from Domino’s, ordering your favorite pizza is as easy as opening an app.
Developers received a fresh batch of new beta software from Apple this morning for pretty much every device Apple makes.
The first betas for iOS 9.3.2, watchOS 2.2.1, tvOS 9.2.1 and OS X 10.11.5 were all seeded to developers today, bringing a host of new bug fixes and tiny features to the Mac, Apple Watch, iPhone, and Apple TV.
Game like a pro on your Apple TV with the Nimbus gaming controller. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
A few weeks ago, I found myself at the local Apple Store chatting to a sales associate who was demonstrating the SteelSeries Nimbus gaming controller. I had a quick go at the controls only to find myself duly impressed by the way it works as an Apple TV gaming controller.
I was intrigued enough to take another, closer look at this gaming pad to see if it’s worth picking up. Watch the video below to see my SteelSeries Nimbus review.