Cult of Mac

Since it was first released as part of iOS 6, Apple Maps has gotten a partially deserved bad rap. Although nowhere near as bad as it was at release, Apple Maps has a reputation for being unreliable compared to options like Google Maps.

One thing that was particularly frustrating about Apple Maps at release was the fact that while the app invited users to report incorrect locations and results, nothing ever seemed to happen with those reports. So if Apple gave you incorrect directions, it might take months for the error to be fixed.

But a thread on Reddit offers what appears to be conclusive proof that Apple has gotten its act together about Maps. According to the thread, Apple is now pushing through error corrections in Apple Maps on a daily basis.

Cult of Mac’s top news stories and features to peruse on your iPad or iPhone. This week, our early-early adopter Charlie Sorrel weighs in once more on the iPad vs. desktop debate, plus how to fix your iPhone camera and hide those compromising shots from your mom, and we take a test drive of outlawed parking apps.

Cult of Mac Magazine June 30 Edition, Free on iTunes

With iOS 7, Apple already has the best anti-theft software protection of any smartphone in the business. If you lose your iPhone, or it’s stolen, you can easily use Find My iPhone to see where it’s last reported coordinates are, and send a beep and a message to the device. And thanks to Activation Lock, unless someone knows your pin, they can’t even wipe the phone, effectively meaning that thieves who steal iPhones can’t do anything with it except strip it for parts.

But while iOS gives great protection to owners from thieves, it also inadvertently “protects” them from the good Samaritans who might want to return a lost or stolen device to its proper owner. That’s not the way it has to be, though, as this excellent ‘Good Samaritan’ concept proves.

Agree? Disagree?

Did we miss out your favorite hidden TV gem, that was taken from us before it had the chance to find its audience? Or did we want to send a show you love off to the Sarlacc pit that is TV hell? If you have strong thoughts on this topic let us know what they are in the comments below.

Many users were surprised when the expected Surface Mini tablet didn’t arrive alongside the Surface Pro 3 back in May. A new report, however, sheds a bit of light on the issue.

According to upstream supply chain sources who spoke with DigiTimes, Microsoft ditched plans for a small-size tablet due to fierce competition in the marketplace, along with negative responses from brand vendor clients.

With nothing standout about the Surface Mini’s tech spec (it was reportedly set to sport a 7.5- to 8-inch display, ARM processors, and OneNote and Windows RT 8.1 operating system) Microsoft feared the device’s success would be severely hampered by the arrival of the upcoming 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6, which is expected to have a major impact on the demand for 7-inch tablets.

Every kid who has ever gone to high school knows the social anxiety that deciding where to sit in the school lunchroom can cause. Do you sit with the jocks? The preps? The dweebs? Or will no one let you sit at their table at all, forcing you to do the worst thing possible: Sit all by yourself, alone?

Most of us leave this problem behind us in high school, but not Steve Jobs. During his lifetime, Jobs was a visionary, a guru, a genius and a mentor to thousands of Apple employees. But in the Apple cafeteria, he was the guy that no one wanted to sit with. But it wasn’t because people thought he was a loser: They just didn’t want to get fired.

In the production cycle leading up to every new iPhone release, leaked iPhone casings give us a very good idea of the size and ergonomics of the new device months ahead of time. But one thing we don’t often get a look at before a new iPhone is released is what it looks like doing what it’s actually supposed to do: run the latest version of iOS.

With the iPhone 6, Apple is making the most radical change to the physical size of the device ever. To figure out what this means for the look and feel of iOS 8 when it is blown up to the size of the iPhone 6’s 4.7-inch display, YouTube video maestro Tom Rich has created a video that shows exactly that.

Thanks to abundant casing leaks, we all think we know what the iPhone 6 will look like when it’s released this summer: a 4.7-inch slab of aluminum with stripes on the back denoting where the antenna goes. But do we really? A new report out of Asia says the iPhone 6 could look very different than the leaks we’ve seen so far.

Before anyone ever uttered the word “selfie,” Meags Fitzgerald had accumulated thousands of photos of herself taken in photo booths in the malls and train stations near her home.

She produced strips of four one-of-a-kind poses almost daily, sometimes hiding in a mall photo booth until after close. High-school friends dubbed her “the Photo Booth Girl.” Today, when the Montreal artist pulls the curtain in a booth, the flashes sometimes don’t stop until she has enough photos to produce a movie.

“It’s very much an obscure labor of love,” said Fitzgerald, a freelance illustrator who has produced six film shorts, all in photo booths. “There are certainly people who have used photo booths in their mediums but I’m the only one I know who has used them in this way, in this length or with the narrative purpose I’ve tried.”

Tim Cook has been an ardent supporter of LGBT rights while leading the ship at Apple. That continued this weekend, as Apple (in a display known as “Apple Pride”) participated in the San Francisco Pride Celebration & Parade, one of the many gay pride parades held Sunday across the United States.

Apple gave out $1 iTunes gift cards to onlookers at the parade, allowing them to download free songs from the iTunes Store. It also celebrated the event by including an “LGBT Gay Pride” station on iTunes Radio.

iPad screenmaker Sharp is allocating a major chunk of its LCD production facilities to Apple — but doesn’t seem all that happy about it.

According to an interview published Monday with Sharp Senior Executive Managing Officer Norikazu Hoshi, the company worries about what it means for the entire output of the Japanese display maker’s Kameyama No. 1 plant to go “to just one company (Apple).”

The iPhone is the perfect tool to make you a better, hipper parent, or at least that’s what Apple wants you to believe in its newest TV ad. Entitled “Parenthood,” the minute-long spot is the latest in a string of ads for the iPhone 5s.

The song is “Life of Dreams” by Julie Doiron, and apps shown include Withings Withbaby, Nike+ Running, and Parrot Flower Power.

There’s definitely a connected-home vibe throughout the ad, especially when a dad uses his iPhone to turn the lights off. Apple just announced its HomeKit platform for developers to integrate with smart home gadgets, and the company is even rumored to be working on its own hardware for the home.

Lots going on in this week’s episode of HBO’s vampire-romance television show, including answers on Eric’s whereabouts, more info on the infected, zombie-like Hep-V vampires, and a whole bunch of callbacks to the first season of the show.

If you missed last week’s recap, head on over and read up on the first episode of the seventh and final season of this HBO cult-hit, or read our massive recap of the first six seasons to catch up on the whole story, loosely based on Charlaine Harris’ bestselling novels, so far.

Be warned – there be spoilers ahead, so if you don’t want to know what’s going on in the world of Sookie Stackhouse, keep moving, folks.

If you’ve been looking to jailbreak iOS 7.1.1 and you have a Mac, then check out the new version of Pangu released today.

The Chinese team of hackers behind the tool dropped their jailbreak for iOS 7.1.x out of the blue last week, but until today it could only be used on Windows. Not only is there now an OS X version, but the interface has been rewritten in English.

Sometimes you need to blow off a little steam after a tough week at work. All you want to do is take out your frustrations on a bunch of virtual characters in a virtual world. This Cult of Mac Deals offer lets you do that in spades.

The Call of Duty Modern Warfare Bundle combines the ferocity and fun of three of the best combat games ever made: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for one low price. You can go on missions and kill enemies for hours with this dynamic package – priced at just $39.99 – for a limited time.

Unless someone’s *ahem* Putin us on, this 18-carat gold plated iPhone 5s featuring the visage of Russia’s controversial president is currently selling for around $4,363.

Called the Caviar iPhone 5s Supremo Putin, it is the work of luxury jewellery house Perla Penna, and is available only in Russia.

In addition to an etching of Vladimir Putin, the phone case is accompanied by the Russian coat of arms, along with the first two lines of the Russian national anthem.

This week on the CultCast: Leander’s Big Adventure! Leander’s back to tell us about his top-secret mission to Apple HQ. Plus, CoM reviews editor Charlie Sorrell tells us about some cool gear he’s reviewing. We also run through a list of all the great hardware we’re expecting Apple to dump on us in just a few short months. And we wrap up with an all-new Get to Know Your Cultist, and this round has us diving into some of our favorite movies ever made. Guess who has the weird choice? You’re right, it’s Leander.

Hem and haw your way through each week’s best Apple stories! Stream or download new and past episodes of The CultCast now on your Mac or iDevice by subscribing on iTunes, or hit play below and let the chuckles begin.

Our thanks to Lynda.com for sponsoring this episode! Learn virtually any application at your own pace from expert-taught video tutorials at Lynda.com.

Click on for the show notes.

Do you want to supercharge your WordPress skills? Do you want to save a ton of money while doing so? Then this Cult of Mac Deals offer is exactly what you’ve been looking for.

The 0–100 WordPress Starter Kit packages 10 premium themes and 6 WordPress tutorials in one stellar bundle. You’ll get over 33 hours of content at a fraction of the regular price – just $49 – during this limited time promotion.

It’s all about home automation here in 2014, and General Electric are taking full advantage. More than a century after General Electric founder Thomas Edison created his version of the light bulb, the company has introduced a new smart LED light bulb called Link.

What’s neat about Link light bulbs is that they can be remotely controlled by iPhone users from anywhere in the world, being Internet-connected and operated using the so-called Wink app which allows for the control of its settings and syncing with associated devices.

By enhancing discoverability and human curation in its App Store, and favoring innovative indie developers over brainless money-hungry giants, Apple is doing a lot of things right these days when it comes to iOS.

An area it could still work on, however, is kicking out knockoff titles — or making sure they never make it into the App Store to begin with.

Case in point is Cloned Blek. Brought to our attention by Gamezebo, the title is a shameless display by apparent ripoff artists Coffee House Apps.

It seems like ages ago that the original iPod touch helped boost the popularity of iOS. With seven years behind the device, Apple still believes in the product and has introduced a price cut. Watch today’s news roundup to hear all about the latest version of the iTouch. You’ll also get the latest iPhone 6 rumors, a look at Google’s wacky cardboard virtual reality goggles and the rest of this week’s big stories.

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Verizon Wireless is having massive issues with its systems across the country today that has spurred a horde of frustrated customers to take to Twitter after the outage has blocked new phone activation for the past 24 hours.

Current issues with Verizon’s payment and upgrade systems aren’t affecting calls or data, but The Verge reports that Verizon and its retail stores have confirmed there’s a major issue they’re working to resolve, leaving new iPhone purchasers trapped with an error message until its fixed.

Apple gave developers an early preview of its upcoming Photos app this month at WWDC, but what it didn’t tell anyone is that new app for iOS will also overthrow Apple’s iPhoto and Aperture apps for OS X.

A new Photos app for OS X isn’t expected to land on Macs until next year, but in a statement released to The Loop, Apple says it has already stopped development on its professional photography application, Aperture.

Here’s the official statement: