Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 17.4 to developers Thursday, offering a first look at new emoji coming soon to iPhone. For Europeans, the update will be a major one, as it will allow users to sideload apps (among other big changes).
Also on Thursday came the initial betas of iPadOS 17.4 and tvOS 17.4. There’s no sign yet of macOS 14.4 beta 1, however.
Apple is further opening up iOS to alternative browsers and browser engines, as part of Cupertino’s plan to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act.
In iOS 17.4 — launched Thursday as a beta — iPhone users in the EU will have a lot more choice over the default browser and browser engines.
The biggest change will be the ability to use alternative browser engines, like Google’s Blink renderer instead of Apple’s WebKit.
Apple is bringing sideloading and alternate app stores to the iPhone — but with significant restrictions.
Apple gave EU developers guidelines and access to the tools needed for sideloading — installing applications that don’t go through the App Store. But the new rules require these apps to be approved by Apple before they can be installed by iPhone users. And they need to be in alternative marketplaces, not directly available for download.
In other words, sideloading won’t be the free-for-all some people had hoped.
This is part of sweeping changes to iOS, Safari and the App Store required by the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. And Apple’s announcement of these changes in Thursday is loaded with warning about how sideloading brings risks for users.
To comply with EU mandates, Apple will open the iPhone’s NFC payment chip to third parties, the company said Thursday. Starting in March, users in the European Economic Area will be able to utilize tap to pay on iPhone services other than Apple Pay when making purchases.
The new payment option, part of sweeping changes forced on the iPhone and iOS by the EU’s Digital Markets Act, could cut into Apple’s services revenue. And the company warns that it could put users at risk. Read more about the expansion of iPhone’s Tap to Pay feature across Europe.
Apple eased up on longstanding App Store limitations on how iOS apps can deliver experiences to iPhone and iPad users, including streaming games and mini-programs, the company indicated Thursday. Developers like gaming companies can now submit a single app with the ability to stream all games in a catalog, rather than one app per game.
Accompanying these options will be new analytics reports for developers starting in March, plus new sign-in options they can include with apps.
TSMC is on course to make the first processors made with a cutting-edge 2nm process. And all of the initial supply of these might go into iPhone and Mac, according to a published report.
It wouldn’t be a surprise, considering the same thing happened with the Taiwanese foundry’s 3nm chips.
The first 2nm chip won’t be out before 2025, though.
Just as Apple overtook Samsung as the worldwide smartphone leader in 2023, iPhone also became China’s favorite smartphone during that timeframe, according to a new report Thursday from International Data Tracker (IDC).
Apple captured 17.3% of China’s smartphone market in 2023, up from 16.8% in 2022 — albeit in a shrinking marketplace where smartphone shipments declined 5% overall, but with signs of recovery showing up late in the year.
Juuk makes Vitero aluminum Apple Watch bands in Hong Kong, providing them to several high-end Swiss watch brands. But you can get one — or more than one — straight from the Cult of Mac Store.
The bands in the Juuk Vitero collection feature a strong sense of style, including several two-tone looks that are not for the timid.
PDFs can be some of the trickiest files to work with — and the same goes for Adobe Acrobat software. Having a reliable and easy-to-use PDF converter app is the key to streamlining your workflow and saving valuable time trying to work with difficult documents.
PDF Converter Pro is one of the most highly rated PDF apps on the entire web. It works on both Mac and PC. And though it usually costs $99, right now you can grab a lifetime license to the software for just $24.97 — a savings of more than $65.
After Killers of the Flower Moon attracted 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Apple and Paramount Pictures agreed to rerelease the historical crime drama in theaters starting Friday.
The film, directed by Martin Scorsese and written by him and Eric Roth, will see a limited run in 1,000+ locations worldwide, Apple said.
A fantastic deal on the 15-inch MacBook Air knocks its price down by $200. That drops the price of the world’s slimmest laptop to as low as $1,099.
If you are looking for a sleek new laptop, the 15-inch MacBook Air is probably your best option. And that’s why you should not miss this deal.
Ready to bag an Apple Watch with a working blood-oxygen sensor/app? While you can often find good deals on Amazon, the company’s bargain site, Woot, often does it one better. A good example would be Woot’s current deal on refurbished Apple Watch Series 8. You can get the GPS-only model for 34% off, at $264.99 — and it even comes with a one-year Apple warranty.
Amazon’s deals on that model fall a little short of Woot’s mark, but the parent site does offer one incredible deal — a GPS and cellular Apple Watch 8 at 46% off.
See how five Amazon and Woot deals on Apple Watch 8 compare below.
For the second time in as many weeks we’ve come across someone ditching a nice external display and keeping just one — and this time it’s to add a second powerful MacBook Pro used as both a computer and a secondary display. In fact, now it’s triple-display setup, but two of them are laptops on stands.
Mifa’s fetching Modern Classic Leather band for Apple Watch is nowhere near as pricey as it looks. It’s made entirely from high-end leather and anodized aluminum, and it’s an absolute steal at less than $33.
Get yours today from the Cult of Mac Store.
The 40-year history of Macintosh computers is a roller coaster of ages golden and dark.
Anything that lasts so long in the forefront of technology has to change to stay relevant. This once-plucky computer that began as an antithesis to the IBM PC, which dominated the world in 1984, is now itself a dominating force, ever pushing the needle in the world of technology.
How did this all happen? Let’s walk through 40 years of Macintosh.
Although the European Union requires Apple to allow sideloading of iPhone applications, Cupertino reportedly hopes to review apps before they become available for installation from outside the App Store.
Apple also expects developers to voluntarily send a percentage of all revenue generated through sideloaded iOS applications.
Want to learn something new this year? StackSkills Unlimited provides a vast library of top-rated training, and lifetime access is now only $39.97 (regularly $600) via Cult of Mac Deals.
Whether you’re interested in data analysis or dog training, good coaching can make all the difference to your progress. StackSkills is a platform that brings together learning content from over 350 popular instructors on a range of topics, covering both professional and personal interests.
Back in the early 1980s, Alfred DiBlasi made his bones selling tons of Apple computers on Long Island, New York. A diehard Mac fan and an undeniably colorful character, DiBlasi has decades of wild Apple stories to tell.
Like the time he met the two Steves — Jobs and Wozniak at a meeting in Manhattan. (Spoiler alert: While the prickly Jobs refused a handshake, Woz gave DiBlasi a big hug.)
These days, DiBlasi — one of the few people on the planet who uses a much-maligned “Trashcan” Mac Pro as a daily driver — posts things like incredibly detailed walkthroughs of the Apple Lisa and the NeXTCube on his YouTube channel.
Prior to the Mac’s 40th anniversary, DiBlasi talked with Cult of Mac about everything Apple, from the clunky computers that preceded the Macintosh 128K to how the machine evolved over time.
You can watch the full conversation on our YouTube channel, or read up on the highlights below. (We recommend you watch the video — DiBlasi’s a hoot.)
To celebrate the Macintosh’s 40th birthday, the author of a celebrated book about Macs created a website featuring photos of every Mac ever released.
Jonathan Zufi, author of Iconic: A Photographic Tribute To Apple Innovation, just launched Mac40th.com, a new website with more than 1,000 photos of every Mac, ever.
“So many people have come across a Mac at some point in their lives,” Zufi said in an email to Cult of Mac. “Mac40th.com is about giving fans a fun trip down memory lane with the hope that the Macintosh’s 40th anniversary evokes happy memories for anyone who has ever had an experience with an Apple Mac.”
Investing can feel like a crapshoot — even when the stock market’s on a roll. However, with some Wall Street knowledge and a powerful stock screener, you’ll be well on your way to making better investments.
You can enjoy stock analysis, stock investing tips and much more with Tykr. And right now, you can unlock lifetime access to this powerful stock picker educational platform for only $99.97 (regularly $900) with code STOCK. You need to act fast, though, as this sale only lasts until January 28!
Apple still plans to put a car on the road, but the release date for the Apple car is sometime in 2028, according to a new report.
Designers had to slam the brakes on hopes for full self-driving capabilities. The electric vehicle allegedly will offer some driver-assistance capabilities but these will fall far short of full autonomy. Still, with the downgraded feature set, the product has a better chance of hitting its deadline than before.
Some Apple Watch owners might be hesitant about installing the just-released watchOS 10.3 update over concerns that it’ll remove the controversial Blood Oxygen application. But there’s no reason for concern — it does not.
We tested multiple devices to be extra sure.
Right now you can get great deals on small-but-fierce M2 and M2 Pro Mac mini desktop computers at Amazon, thanks to a combination of price reductions and product-page coupons.
That means you can get between $80 and $123 off different versions of the machine, offering you a range of affordable prices and capabilities to choose from.
Samsung’s 2024 flagship, the Galaxy S24 Ultra, is here to take on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. On paper, Samsung’s newest Galaxy packs superior hardware to the iPhone. But in a true smartphone smackdown — iPhone 15 Pro Max versus Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra — which one would win?
It turns out that a phone is more than just its specs sheet. Below are five reasons why the iPhone 15 Pro Max is better than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
When you have too many cables cluttering up your desk or bedside table, you need a good cable-management system. Elago’s uses cleverly placed magnets to keep things tidy, and it costs just $13.99.
A single device holds up to three cables, which can be easily removed and reattached should you ever need to move them. Order yours today in black or white from the Cult of Mac Store.