Jay Z's got 99 problems, and Apple Music is one. Photo: Flickr/NRK P3
Jay Z’s music service, Tidal, is still trying to keep up with Apple Music, but instead of offering a new differentiating feature, the music streamer is playing catch up by coming out with Family plans of its own.
watchOS 2.0 is bringing native apps to your wrist Photo: Apple
The third big beta update for Apple Watch is here.
Two week after Apple released the second watchOS 2.0 beta, the third beta version of the Apple Watch operating system is now ready for developers to install through the Apple Dev Center.
Apple’s third OS X 10.11 El Capitan beta is now available to download for registered developers. The release comes just two weeks after Apple previewed the big update at WWDC and made its second beta available for testing.
After a successful round of funding on Kickstarter in 2013, the makers of the iblazr are back with a new generation: the iblazr 2. The LED flash accessory for iOS and Android has now gone wireless and includes a number of features and improvements to help your phone’s cameras out at night when it tends to struggles the most.
Apple’s beta testers usually get early access to upcoming features, but with last week’s public release of iOS 8.4, users on iOS 9 betas found themselves shut out of the new Apple Music service. That changes today with the release of iOS 9.0 beta 3 which brings support for Apple Music to the upcoming mobile operating system for the first time.
How many of us have said “I really should start a journal,” only to find that even the simple task of sitting and writing for a few minutes is too hard to fit into our daily schedule? With Penzu, there aren’t any more excuses — it turns anything with a screen into a synced, secure journal. And right now a Penzu Pro Digital Journal Lifetime Subscription is just $39, a full 58% off the normal price.
Apple is hoping for big things from its next-gen iPhone. Photo: Cult of Mac
The incremental “s” iPhones are usually considered fairly minor compared to the full-number models (iPhone 5, 6, etc.). That’s not looking like it will be the case this year, however, with a new report claiming that Apple has placed an extra-large order for its initial wave of iPhone 6s and 6s Plus handsets.
Whereas Apple ordered 70-80 million iPhones for last year’s new iPhones, this year the company has increased that to 85-90 million units, representing a new all-time record for Apple.
In a blow against patent trolls everywhere, a federal judge has thrown out a $532.9 million damages award against Apple, saying that the jury in the case may have had a “skewed damages horizon.”
The case relates to a trial which took place earlier this year, in which a Texas court awarded the company Smartflash a little over half of the $852 million it had asked for, after Apple allegedly infringed on its intellectual property with iTunes features related to data storage and managing access through payment systems.
The new Boa saddle bag by Booq is designed to carry the 15-inch MacBook Pro. Photo: Booq
It’s no secret that Booq, the creators of high-end computer bags and backpacks, draws its design inspiration from snakes. Cobra, Python, Viper and Mamba are just some of its product lines and if we get past our terror of snakes, we can respect they are strong, efficient and flexible much like bags constructed by Booq.
Snakes also unhinge their jaws to consume things larger than their bodies and so Booq, considering the 15-inch MacBook Pro plus all the necessary gear a professional carries daily for work, has added the Boa saddle to its line of stylish bags.
Remember that time Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer openly laughed at the iPhone? Well, it turns out the phone business isn’t so easy after all, because for the second year in a row Microsoft has announced it’s laying off large numbers of people — this time mainly involved with Windows Phone hardware.
Despite cutting a total of 7,800 jobs, however, Microsoft insists it’s not throwing in the towel on its Windows Phone division, and still plans to push forward with Windows 10 Mobile and launch new Lumia flagship devices later in 2015.
Apple's so powerful it can even affect tourism. Photo: Apple
If you ever want to find some evidence of just how significant Apple is these days, take a look at how it can impact upon seemingly unrelated areas — like, say, tourism.
According to a new report, following Apple’s decision to name last year’s OS X version after Yosemite national park, interest in the beloved American landmark skyrocketed.
People were in a hurry to upgrade to get their hands on Apple Music. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Pretty much everyone I’ve spoken to about Apple Music is loving it so far, but how much is it resonating with the general public? Quite a bit, according to the above-average upgrade rate for iOS 8.4 which can already be found on the devices of 40 percent of all active users.
For those keeping track at home, that’s only marginally less than the adoption rate of the most popular Android versions, such as KitKat and Jelly Bean — which have been around for years instead of just one week.
App Store prices are being cranked up in some markets. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Based on changes in taxes and foreign exchange rates, Apple is set to increase the prices of App Store apps in Mexico, South Africa, South Korea and Turkey.
In Soviet Russia, some selfies take people. Photo: Quartz
From electrocution while trying to get the perfect background, to accidentally shooting oneself while posing with a pistol, Russian selfies seem to be pretty dangerous things — with more than 100 leading to serious injuries in the country in the pas year alone.
With that kind of track record, it’s no wonder that Russia’s police force wants to do something about it — which they’ve apparently done by issuing a brochure packed with handy graphics showing how to take selfies without risking potentially fatal injuries.
It might be like this, but with books and stuff. Photo: Apple
Nobody’s really sure what to do with wearables like the Apple Watch, and we don’t just mean in the “How does this improve my life?” sense of it. Safety and cheating concerns are putting it on a lot of people’s ban radar, and laws are scrambling to incorporate the new tech as needed.
But some researchers at Penn State are about to see if the Apple Watch might find a home in the classroom, after all.
Home Sharing coming back to iOS 9, says Apple's Eddy Cue. Photo: Apple
According to Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, his team is on top of the recent removal of Home Sharing from the iOS 8.4 update.
Cue tweeted that we can expect the feature, which lets you share music across Home Sharing-enabled Apple devices on the same network, will return in iOS 9.
Swiping with your thumbs in Tinder is so quaint. Photo: Tinder
Tinder is going hands-free, but not how you’re thinking, sicko.
Developer T-3 has looked at dating app Tinder, which has people swiping left or right to choose potential connections, and thought, “That seems like a lot of work.”
Its solution: Let your involuntary physical functions swipe for you. You can see the idea in action in the video below.
Apple won't just let any iPhone or iPad case in its retail stores. Photo: Apple
Apple put up a new page on its website detailing the qualifications that third-party iPhone and iPad accessory makers must meet before the company will start selling those products in retail stores or online in the Apple Store. It’s not exactly the easiest process to meet Apple’s high quality standards. In fact, Apple now touts that these cases are “tested to the limit” before they make it on store shelves.
Domino's has added a couple cool features to its iOS app. Photo: Domino's Pizza/iTunes
You know that feature when you order online from Domino’s that keeps you posted on the process of your order and even tells you which employee has put your pizza in the oven, and who just left the store to bring it to you?
I love that feature, for some reason. I don’t think it makes me some kind of creepy pizza stalker, if that’s even a thing.
But my main issue is that I had to keep my laptop open to stay on top of the whole process. Luckily, however, Domino’s has addressed that one, strangely specific gripe with the latest update to its mobile app.
The UP4 makes payments through American Express. Photo: Jawbone
One of Apple Watch’s best features is it can replace your wallet with NFC payments. Now Jawbone is ready to get in on the contactless payments too with the introduction of its newest wearable, the UP4.
An utterly simple and useful way to get your videos and photos to the next level. Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
I was shooting my son’s school play a couple of months ago with my iPhone, as I don’t have a dedicated video camera any more. Because I sat up close, I wasn’t really able to capture the whole stage in one shot.
What I needed was a wide-angle lens. That’s where these PhotoJojo magnetically attachable lenses come in.
When you’re shooting video with an iPhone, there are times when you want a bit more control over the image without having to resort to a confusing app.
The simplest way to get an altered image is an attachable lens, and these magnetically attached lenses from PhotoJojo do just the trick.
Apple doesn't have anything on the packaging for these products. Photo: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac
Opening a new Apple product for the first time is pretty close to a holy experience. Part of that is because Apple spends so much time perfecting product packaging so it’s simple, elegant and secure without compromising on intuitiveness.
However, it’s a mistake to think Apple is the only company that pours thought and care into something as basic as a box. In light of the recent rumor that Apple will be working with third-party accessory makers to co-design packaging for their products in Apple retail stores, it’s clear many other companies care as well. It’s about being eye-catching without straying from uniformity, it’s about being simple yet still adorned.
With this spirit in mind, take a look at some of the other electronic companies out there getting extremely creative with their product packaging. The goal for these seems to be making the boxes as gorgeous as the products themselves – and they succeed.
You won't have any spare time left once this gets its claws into you. Photo: Klei Entertainment
Get ready to waste entire days of your life as Don’t Starve, an endlessly life-threatening survival game from Klei Entertainment, is headed to your iPad as of July 9.
Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition will only run you a tasty $4.99, and it’ll be worth every penny. I can’t count the number of hours I’ve spent walking my little Edward Gorey-inspired characters around the various environments in game, dodging spiders, avoiding fish-men and collecting tons of resources to make sure I don’t actually starve to death.
To have this sweet time-suck of a game on my iPad? Pure bliss.
Uli Emanuele aims for the tiny opening of this rock formation in Switzerland. Photo: Uli Emanuele/GoPro/YouTube
The difference in Uli Emanuele’s latest wingsuit flight and a thread going the eye of a needle is that if it misses, the thread gets a do-over.
So to tell you that Emanuele’s shot through a small opening in a rock formation in Switzerland was successful shouldn’t spoil the video. You will cringe and scoot tensely to the edge of your seat.
Emanuele’s jump, filmed with GoPro cameras mounted to his chest and helmet, was posted to YouTube on July 1 and already is approaching 3 million views.
If you’re starting to figure out how you can use HomeKit to make your house less dumb, you can now get started by heading to the Apple Store and picking up the ecobee3, the first thermostat that works with Apple’s smart-appliance platform.
The device retails for $249, and it’s available in North America Apple Stores today.