The more we learn about the extent of spying and theft that happens on the Internet, the more it seems like we should revert back to communicate with two cans and a string. A better alternative is just to protect your connection to the Internet, which is what Private Internet Access VPN does. And right now you can get a 2-year subscription for $59.95 at Cult of Mac Deals.
One of the lenses in the Creative Mobile Kit by Lensbaby. Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac
We love our iPhone cameras because it takes away the need for technical know-how and leaves us with nothing but fun for our photography. But sometimes fun needs to be turned up a notch.
Enter the Creative Mobile Kit from Lensbaby, a two-lens package that turns any scene into a dreamy state of smeary colors and blurred shapes that surround the focus of a subject. Just clip on the kit’s magnetic mount bracket, select a lens and go play.
An Apple Car has the potential to save lives. In all sorts of ways. Photo: Aristomenis Tsirbas/Freelancer
Morgan Stanley analysts Adam Jonas and Katy Huberty — who regularly follow Tesla and Apple — claim an autonomous Apple Car could save drivers a collective 400 billion hours of “non-productive” time each year.
“What is the value of 400 billion hours a year?” they write in a note to clients. “How much value could Apple create from this time or said another way how much are consumers willing to pay to recoup this time? It’s time to start thinking about… time.”
And we thought the Apple Watch was Apple’s attempt to focus on timekeeping!
reTXT lets you edit messages or photos after you've already sent them. Photo: reTXTreTXT lets you edit messages or photos after you’ve already sent them. Photo: reTXT
reTXT is a radical new messaging app that wants to fix everything wrong with online communication as it exists now. It landed back in April and includes a number of unique features — like being able to edit a message you already sent — all of which are currently patent pending. The app just updated today for iOS and Android with support for voice calling with end-to-end encryption as well.
Sticking out from the crowd of third-party messaging apps, I decided to take a closer look.
The iPhone 6s has more junk in the trunk. Photo: Apple
The Pope touched down in Washington D.C. yesterday as part of hit U.S. tour, and it might totally screw up whether you get your iPhone 6s pre-order delivered on September 25th.
Steve Jobs’ life has been immortalized in the form of numerous biographies, three movies, multiple documentaries, several operas, and a handful of graphic novels — but now it’s been turned into an infographic, too.
Created by the folks at Visualistan, this neat creation takes you through Steve’s most significant moments in one easy-to-read pictogram, based on the same Walter Isaacson biography that forms the basis for the forthcoming Steve Jobs movie.
Apple will provide Chinese users with a local official version of Xcode to download. Photo: Johan Larrson/Flickr
Apple is taking steps to avoid a repeat of this week’s serious XcodeGhost incident — in which hundreds of App Store apps were discovered to include malware in the form of a counterfeit version of Xcode, the platform used by developers to build their apps.
The teen who had his life saved thanks to his Apple Watch heart monitor has received a brand new iPhone 6s and — more importantly — an internship with Apple next summer.
17-year-old football player Paul Houle says he was recovering from his recent medical emergency when he received a very special call from Cupertino.
“I got a phone call from a California number, and [the person on the other end of the line] said ‘Hello, my name is Tim Cook, CEO of Apple,'” Houle says.
Ferguson Firsthand was intended as an "educational app." Photo: Dan Archer
In the latest controversy over Apple’s stringent App Store guidelines, the company has rejected an “educational app” about the August 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
The reason? Apple objects to “the subject matter” of the game, which deals with the impact of the real-life shooting that sparked rioting and a continuing conversation about race and police brutality.
According to a leading child psychologist it’s a whole lot more serious than that, however — giving very young children an iPad to play with may be “tantamount to child abuse.”
Don't go anywhere, Apple Watch -- we're not finished yet. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Here’s another tip that’s snuck into watchOS 2: Did you know that you can keep your Apple Watch awake longer now while you’re using it?
Apple hasn’t mentioned this feature much, if at all; we couldn’t even find it on the details screen when we upgraded. But it’s a great addition to the firmware that will save you a little frustration and a lot of wrist-flipping.
Forecast Bar brings loads of weather data your Mac's menu bar. Photo: Forecast Bar
Forecast Bar brings all the features you love about awesome weather app Dark Sky to a Mac app. Not only does it look similar to Dark Sky, but it’s powered by the same Forecast API, which means you’re getting the same accurate weather predictions.
Forecast Bar also works the way you want it to. Keep it in the menu bar or let it sit in your Dock. Enable certain notifications and display a three-day, five-day or seven-day forecast — up to you. With its detailed weather and range of customization options, it should very quickly take your Mac by storm.
Yes, Siri. It's already on. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
This week’s release of watchOS 2 brings a much-needed security update to Apple’s wearable by adding Activation Lock to the device, and the great news is that you may not even have to do anything to add it.
Activation Lock has been around for a while for other Apple devices, and its purpose is to keep thieves from using them even if they manage to get ahold of your preciouses. The first version of watchOS only included basic locking features and a passkey, which wouldn’t keep smart evildoers from gaining access to sensitive data like your Apple Pay data.
Here’s how the feature shows up on the Apple Watch.
Flashgap lets you take pictures at the party, but then makes you wait a day before you can share them. Photo: Flashgap
There is a growing category of apps that fall under the heading, Apps to save us from ourselves. There are messaging apps that delay the sending of text messages and apps and hardware that measure the amount of alcohol on your breath.
Flashgap enters this category – probably in time for some – to stop embarrassing party photos from making the rounds before you’ve had a chance to sober up and consider who will get to see your fun and foolishness.
Selecting text on the iPhone 6s is ridiculously easy. Photo: Matthew Panzarino/Twitter
Selecting text on the iPhone 6s will be a whole lot easier thanks to the introduction of 3D Touch, which can quickly change your iOS 9 keyboard into a trackpad.
iPhone 6s owners will be able to use two levels of touch to activate the trackpad, and then a deeper push to highlight text. The trick was first discovered by Apple analyst Ben Bajarin while reviewing the upcoming smartphone. TechCrunch’s Matthew Panzarino uploaded a video this afternoon showing off the new feature and it might be the best reason yet to upgrade to the new 3D Touch iPhones.
Native apps, like Dark Sky, take advantage of the new OS for Apple Watch. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
The future of computing may be sitting on your wrist, but it’s still tethered to something a little old-fashioned. But as of Monday, the Apple Watch’s new operating system allows it to cut a few of the cords that connect it to the iPhone.
Apple’s watchOS 2 debuted, giving the watch new superpowers but also allowing native apps to run independently of the iPhone.
Third-party complications are here in watchOS 2. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
Third-party complications have arrived to the Apple Watch in watchOS 2, and setting them up is far from complicated.
The new operating system for Apple’s wearable dropped this week, and this is one of the features the company has talked up the most. And rightly so, because it adds a ton of new functionality to the device.
Here’s how to put a wealth of new information on your watch face.
Help Arika avoid mortal danger while she wisecracks at you. Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
Dave Justus is no stranger to writing video games, having written both Telltale’s The Wolf Among Us adventure game for Mac, PC and console, as well as the original Lifeline, a text-based story game that brought the epic struggles of an astronaut named Taylor to our wrists.
With the help of 3 Minute Games’ lead game designer Mars Jokela, Justus has created another massive adventure that still fits inside your Apple Watch. This time, however, you’ll have a conversation with Arika, a young woman with magical powers who needs your help to escape mortal danger.
Lifeline 2: Bloodline is a funny, moving, and above all human story that really plays to the strengths of the Apple Watch; it’s like having a text conversation (with a cheeky magician) from your wrist.
“We’ve built Lifeline 2 to be a bigger and richer experience,” says Jokela via email, “[but] the story is still focused on a likable, relatable character who desperately needs your help.”
If you think the A9 processor is fast, wait 'til you see the A10. Photo: Apple
The iPhone 6s is the fastest smartphone on the planet, but according to a new rumor, Apple is planning to make a huge leap with its A10 processor in the iPhone 7 that will turn the device into an unbelievable speed machine.
It seems a bit early to start talking about the iPhone 7’s processor when the 6s hasn’t even gone on sale yet, however, the Apple rumor mill has spit out a rumor claiming Apple’s A10 processor will boast 6 cores.
Sign up to Prime on Friday for a big discount. Photo: Amazon
If you still haven’t succumb to Amazon Prime, then now is the time, because Amazon’s offering a generous discount that’ll save you a bunch of dimes (to celebrate the Emmys).
Time travel without a flux capacitor - right on your wrist. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
If there’s one thing we could all benefit from, it’s more time in the day. Unfortunately, Time Travel on the new Apple Watch operating system, watchOS 2, won’t actually let you travel back in time to get a few extra hours of Netflix in, no matter which edition you purchased.
However, watchOS 2 does now include a new feature called Time Travel, which lets you see the past and future right on your wrist. You can check what the weather will be a few hours from now for your drive home, see if you’ve got any appointments later in the day, or just figure out what time the sun set yesterday to prove you were home before it got dark.
Either way, here’s how to Time Travel on your Apple Watch running watchOS 2.
Blocking contacts in Gmail is simple. Photo: GoogleBlocking contacts in Gmail is simple. GIF: Google
Google has added two awesome new features to Gmail that every email client should provide: the option to block contacts you don’t want to hear from, and the ability to instantly unsubscribe from mailing lists you no longer with to be a part of.
Chipgate won't drain your battery, says Apple. Photo: Apple
Despite being sold out online, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will be available for walk-in purchase on September 25th, except for customers in five unlucky states.
Apple revealed in a press press release that customers in Hong Kong, China, Japan and five U.S.states won’t be able to walk-in to a local Apple Store at 8 a.m. local time on Friday, September 25th to buy the best iPhone Apple’ ever created.
Here are the five states that won’t sell you an iPhone on launch day:
Double-check that you're using the right version of Xcode to build apps. Photo: Johan Larrson/Flickr
Developers who have downloaded Xcode from an non-Apple source now have a way to tell if the version their using is an official Apple version, or if it might be infected by XcodeGhost, which wreaked havoc on the App Store on Sunday.
Apple has outlined how to verify if you’re using a counterfeit version of Xcode in a new support document. Developers should always download Xcode directly from the Mac App Store or Developer Website, but if you haven’t, follow these steps to make sure your copy is legit:
Netflix, Instagram, Airbnb, Vine, the list on major web outfits that build at least part of their operations on Amazon Web Services (AWS) is as long as it is impressive. Knowledge of how Amazon’s cloud hosting platform works is invaluable to any web developer or IT professional, and this course bundle — going for 93% off — is a great opportunity to get caught up and certified for just $19 at Cult of Mac Deals.