Mobile menu toggle

The UK just made iTunes illegal

By •

iTunes on Mac
iTunes ain’t dead yet.
Photo: Apple

The UK’s High Court has turned all of its computer users into outlaws overnight, in a new ruling that makes it unlawful to create a copy of copyrighted content, without the direct permission of the copyright holder.

The new law means UK citizens can no longer create backups of their computer (because pretty much every PC has copyrighted content). You’re also not allowed to rip your CDs into iTunes or convert media files into another format, which means Apple’s software services like Time Machine and iTunes are now considered illegal.

Pay what you want for 10 apps to maximize productivity on your Mac [Deals]

By •

This bundle of productivity-enhancing apps will help keep your computer out of your way.
This bundle of productivity-enhancing apps will help keep your computer out of your way.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Tired of hunching over your keyboard for hours with too little to show for it at the end of the day? This bundle of 10 apps can help get your computer out of the way of what you need to do by vastly enhancing its productivity possibilities. It’ll remove workflow limitations and simplify the process of using all sorts of apps, file formats, even letting you run Windows programs right from your Mac dock. And right now you can pay what you want at Cult of Mac Deals.

Apple wants to take mixtapes to the next level

By •

tape1
Remember these?
Photo: EDMSauce

Apple Music is all about curated playlists from Apple’s growing list of experts. But according to a new patent application published today, a future iTunes feature could let users get in on the act by composing “digital mixtapes” for their friends.

The patent describes how users would be able to name their album, select the songs and play order, and even augment them with extra audio files, images, movies, and personalized messages.

Steve Jobs movie will close BFI London Film Festival

By •

Kate Winslet, middle, praises the portrayal of Steve Jobs by Michael Fassbender (right).
Kate Winslet, middle, has praised the portrayal of Steve Jobs by Michael Fassbender (right).
Photo: Universal Pictures

European Apple fans wanting to have a sneak preview of Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs biopic will get the chance if they attend the closing night of the BFI London Film Festival on October 18.

While we’ve expressed our concerns about the fact Michael Fassbender seemingly looks nothing like Apple’s late co-founder, the movie is still a tantalizing prospect — not least because of the combined talents of Newsroom and West Wing writer Aaron Sorkin and Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle.

Apple Pay adoption is on the decline in the U.S.

By •

Apple in talks to bring Apple Pay to Israel
Keep calm, carry on using Apple Pay.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Apple Pay

Apple Music may be doing fantastically in terms of subscribers, but Apple isn’t having quite the same adoption success with Apple Pay, according to a new report.

Payment industry and retail data analysts at InfoScout and PYMNTS claim that the percentage of iPhone 6 users in the U.S. who have tried Apple Pay declined from 15 percent in March to 13.1 percent in June.

First ‘mobile’ phones were a lot of junk in the trunk

By •

The first mobile phones were car phones. Call quality was superb (if you could get a channel).
The first mobile phones were car phones. Call quality was superb (if you could get a channel).
Photo courtesy Geoff Fors

When Lars Magnus Ericsson installed a telephone in his car, he proved you could communicate from the road. But while the first mobile phone was indeed mobile, it was anything but simple to use.

Ericsson drove around Sweden and, when it was time to place a call, he would pull off to the side of the road next to telephone poles. Then his wife, Hilda, would take out two long sticks and hook them over a pair of telephone wires. Ericsson would then crank a handle on the phone to get a signal from the operator.

Pretty slick for 1910.

Apple fanboys fooled into thinking Android on iPhone is iOS 9

By •

apple-fanboys-fooled-into-thinking-android-on-iphone-is-ios-9-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201508Android-on-iPhone-jpg
Android where you least expect it.
Photo: Dit Is Normaal
Android where you'd least expect it. Photo: Dit Is Normaal
Android where you’d least expect it. Photo: Dit Is Normaal

Loyal iPhone fans will argue iOS is much better than Android, but many have never even used Google’s platform. That’s proven in the hilarious video below, in which Apple fanboys are fooled into thinking Lollipop running on an iPhone is the iOS 9 update that’s coming this fall.

Ive got style: Sir Jony among world’s best-dressed men

By •

Jony Ive at Walton High School. Photo:
Jony Ive has come a long way since his awkward teenage years.
Photo: Nick Wilkinson

With international acclaim, plenty of celebrity admirers, and a new, improved job title, Jony Ive has certainly got plenty going in his favor here in 2015.

Now Vanity Fair has added one more: naming Apple’s premier design genius one of its international best-dressed men of the year.

No doubt down to his choice of smartwatch, surely.

Steve Jobs opera will focus on his tenor at Apple

By •

Would being yelled at by Steve Jobs be any better if it was done tunefully and in Italian?
Photo: Ben Stanfield/Flickr CC

Steve Jobs’ life is about to get yet another retelling — this time in the form of an opera entitled The Revolution of Steve Jobs, coming to The Santa Fe Opera as part of the company’s 2017 season.

Remember the time Jobs broke into song while firing the MobileMe team? Soon you will.

Apple Music is crushing it with 11 million subscribers

By •

Apple Music is preparing for invasion.
Apple Music's ad banner in New York's Times Square.
Photo: Zane Lowe/Twitter

Apple Music may have attracted criticism from big name Apple pundits recently, but it’s still killing it when it comes to subscribers.

According to a new interview with Eddy Cue, Apple has secured 11 million trial members so far, with 2 million of these opting for the $14.99 monthly family plan rather than the $9.99 standard one.

Facebook’s Periscope clone is only for beautiful people

By •

facebook-mentions-live
Facebook is harnessing the power of its massive user base to compete with Periscope's live video streaming.
Photo: Facebook

Did you think the biggest social network on the planet was just going to sit idly by while the likes of Meerkat and Periscope find success in live, social video? Facebook won’t stand for it. So it’s launching its own contribution to the live streaming mix, but the catch is only cool people can use it.

These designer jeans keep your iPhone charged on the go

By •

Joe's #Hello jeans boast a discreet iPhone charger.
Joe's #Hello jeans boast a discreet iPhone charger.
Photo: Joe's Jeans

Keeping your iPhone charged on the go can be a hassle. You have to bring an extra Lightning cable and a big bulk battery just to keep yourself plugged into your texts, phone calls and all the happenings on social media. But one creative clothing manufacturer has come up with a clever solution that puts a charger in your pants.

Enter the world of iOS 9 by building apps for iPhone and Apple Watch [Deals]

By •

This bundle of five courses bridges the worlds of iOS and Apple Watch developing.
This bundle of five courses bridges the worlds of iOS and Apple Watch developing.
Photo: StackSkills

Apple Watch is changing the face (pun intended) of user interaction and design. But developing its next generation of apps also requires having a foot in the still-vibrant world of iOS. Lucky for you budding Watch whizzes, we’ve found a bundle of 5 courses that bridge the worlds of wearable and mobile development, by teaching essential skills through building real, working apps on both platforms. And right now it’s going for 93% off, $25 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Apple will patch serious security flaws in OS X ‘as soon as possible’

By •

Tim Cook addresses the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection. Photo: White House
Tim Cook talks cybersecurity earlier this year.
Photo: White House

Apple plans to issue an update fixing two severe OS X Yosemite security flaws “as soon as possible,” according to a new report.

One bug is the recently discovered Thunderstrike 2, which allows attackers to overwrite a computer’s firmware in a way that is impossible to reverse unless users have the wherewithal to open up their Mac and manually reflash the chip.

The other is a “privilege escalation” bug known as DYLD that allows a program to run as though it has administrator access without prompting users to enter their passwords.

Force Touch makes early appearance on iPhone in new concept video

By •

Force Touch
Here's what Force Touch may look like on the iPhone 6s.
Photo: Maximilian Kiener

A new video mockup shows how Force Touch might work on the iPhone 6s, the less-expensive Apple smartphone expected to hit shelves next month.

Given that we’ve already seen how Force Touch is implemented on the Apple Watch and MacBook, this neat conceptual video shows some of the many ways we may use the technology in new iPhones.

How to listen to Beats 1 shows you’ve missed

By •

2015-08-05-020902
Apple Music now lets you jump on the replay.
Photo: Apple

Apple Music now offers replays of several Beats 1 shows through a feature called Beats 1 Replays.

These full replays aren’t particularly easy to find, but here’s how you can locate them and catch up with shows you’ve missed in their entirety.

Oasis’ Noel Gallagher slates Apple Music for its arrogance

By •

Noel_Gallagher_at_Razzmatazz,_Barcelona,_Spain-5March2012_(3)
Noel Gallagher isn't the biggest fan of Apple Music.
Photo: Snowmanradio/Wikipedia CC

Apple Music has its share of big-name supporters from the world of music, but Oasis’ Noel Gallagher isn’t one of them.

The outspoken musician — who has taken issue with just about every topic under the sun at some time or other — criticized Apple Music for its Beats 1 radio station and its “Connect” feature.

Good Samaritan returns lost iPhone for military widow

By •

iphonethiefdaters123
Our iPhones contain plenty of sentimental material.

A Marine widow has had her stolen iPhone returned to her after revealing that it contained the text message and photos from her late husband, who was killed in a helicopter crash in Nepal.

“This is probably the happiest I’ve been in the last three months,” said Haley Johnson after she recovered the handset.