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iPhone owners are pickier about apps than Android users

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iPhone owners are pickier about apps than Android users
iPhone users have higher standards for third-party software than Android users.
Image: Cult of Mac

Third-party iPhone apps scored significantly lower than their Android counterparts, according to an analysis of user reviews of 4,400 top mobile apps.

This does not necessarily mean that Android offers better third-party software, though. iPhone users simply expect more from their apps.

“The data shows iOS users are more critical of mobile apps than Android users are,” said David Kravets, senior content marketing manager for unitQ, the company that did the research, in an interview with Cult of Mac.

And after going through nearly 122 million reviews, unitQ analysts say there’s “lots of room for improvement” in mobile software.

Cupertino recruits veteran Ford exec for Apple car team

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Ford took the Apple Car chief, now Cupertino takes another veteran leader from Ford.
Ford took the Apple car chief, now Cupertino takes another veteran leader from Ford.
Photo: Peter Trones/Unsplash License

Accelerating work on its self-driving electric vehicle project, Apple recruited veteran Ford engineer and executive Desi Ujkashevic to join the team.

The move comes after various stalls and road bumps in Cupertino’s secretive Project Titan in recent years, including Ford luring away Apple car chief Doug Field last year.

Anker’s bulked-up battery pack broadens charging options

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The new Anker 633 Magnetic Battery packs a 10,000 mAh capacity.
The new Anker 633 Magnetic Battery packs a 10,000 mAh capacity.
Photo: Anker

If you’re one to suffer charging anxiety while out and about, Anker has your cure. It unveiled its latest portable, MagSafe-compatible charging bank Monday, the Anker 633 Magnetic Battery.

The beastly little brick packs a 10,000mAh battery capacity, Anker’s first product of this kind to do so. Plus it features speedier wireless charging than some previous packs as well as spritely USB-C charging when you just want to pull out a cable and get it over with.

Add 1TB of storage to 2021 MacBook Pro with this half-size SD card [Review]

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Transcend JetDrive Lite 330 review
The 1TB JetDrive Lite 330 can sit permanently in your MacBook Pro.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Transcend JetDrive Lite 330 is a memory card that sits flush in the SD slot in the 2021 MacBook Pro. Use it to add up to a terabyte storage to the notebook or for backups. It’s ideal for people who otherwise have no use for the SD card slot.

I put the just-released 1TB version of the memory card. Here’s why I love it.

New HomeKit products help bring smart lighting to your older home

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Leviton's making it easier to add smart lighting to older homes.
Leviton's making it easier to add smart lighting to older homes.
Photo: Leviton

Leviton offered five new smart-home products in its Decora line Monday. Three of them help bring HomeKit-enabled smart lighting to older homes, which can be notoriously tricky: the Decora Smart No-Neutral Switch, Dimmer and required Wi-Fi Bridge.

The other two, for more modern abodes, are refreshes of the Decora Smart Motion Sensing Dimmer and Tamper-Resistant Outlet.

Apple declares iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 2 to be ‘vintage’

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iPad Air 2
The iPad Air 2 was a great tablet for its day. But its day was almost a decade ago.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 2, a pair of tablets from nearly a decade ago, have been added to Apple’s list of vintage products. This somewhat limits the repair options for them.

It’s a step toward them being declared obsolete by Apple. But that won’t happen until at least ten years after the launch of these products.

MacBook assembly restarts after COVID-19 lockdown

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MacBook assembly restarts after COVID-19 lockdown: There's a light at the end of tunnel of long MacBook Pro wait times.
There's a light at the end of tunnel of long MacBook Pro wait times.
Photo illustration: Cult of Mac

Everyone waiting for a new MacBook Pro to be delivered can take heart from a report that Quanta Computer has restarted assembling Apple notebooks. This comes after its assembly plant in Shanghai had been temporarily closed as part of the Chinese government’s attempts to slow the spread of COVID-19.

In the meantime, though, wait times for top-tier MacBooks now stretch into July.

Charge three Apple devices at once with this folding wireless dock, 70% off

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Power three devices with this wireless docking station, 70% off.
Keep all your Apple devices charged with this 3-in-1 docking station.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

We all have a ton of different devices to power on a daily basis. But that doesn’t have to mean having an unsightly mess of cables to do so.

This Charge & Fold 3-in-1 Docking Station will charge multiple devices at once, wirelessly. And it’s on sale with a huge 70% discount, making it just $35.99 (regular price $119).

Shining Girls thriller could be another hit for Apple TV+

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'Shining Girls' thriller could be another hit for Apple TV+
Kate Moss stars in Shining Girls, an Apple TV+ series attracting lots of viewers.
Photo: Apple TV+

The metaphysical-horror-thriller Shining Girls only premiered on Apple TV+ a few days ago, but the Elisabeth Moss series is already in the top 10 most streamed shows. And it’s drawing positive reviews, too.

Plus, the Apple TV+ hit Severance remains on the weekly list of popular shows, despite wrapping up its first season more than three weeks ago.

iPhone Studio? Concept mixes Mac Studio design with Apple’s handset.

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Meet the iPhone Studio, a design concept by Antonio De Rosa based on the Mac Studio.
Meet the iPhone Studio, a design concept by Antonio De Rosa based on the Mac Studio.
Photo: Antonio De Rosa

A new design concept has married elements of the recently released Mac Studio desktop computer to everyone’s favorite handset, the iPhone.

The resulting renders, by prolific Italian concept artist Antonio De Rosa, show a sleek “iPhone Studio” with a powerful array of features.

This super CompTIA bundle could be how you get your first IT job

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This bundle is basically a college course load and it's on sale.
Start training for your first IT jobs with this bundle.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Landing that first job in your field can be one of the biggest challenges you will face. This is especially true in the remarkably competitive IT industry.

If you want to land that first IT job — and form a strong foundation of knowledge for every job that follows — The Complete 2022 CompTIA Certification Course Super Bundle is a great place to start. This comprehensive certification bundle includes 15 great courses on essential topics in IT and cybersecurity. And for a limited time, it costs just $59 (regularly $4,425).

Chip shortage drags iPad shipments down 5%

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New budget iPad 9 gets better video chat, doubles storage
Apple still can't keep up with demand for iPad 9.
Photo: Apple

Apple shipped 4.6% fewer tablets in the first three months of 2022 than it did during the same period of 2021, according to a market research firm. The iPad-maker blames the shortfall on the global chip shortage preventing it from making enough devices to meet demand.

This is the second quarter in a row that iPad shipments have been hurt by component shortages.

Apple lawsuit alleges startup poached engineers who stole chip secrets

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Apple's lawsuit against Rivos alleges recruited engineers stole proprietary information.
Apple's lawsuit against Rivos alleges recruited engineers stole proprietary M1 chip information.
Photo: Apple

Apple filed a lawsuit Friday against a “stealth mode” startup known as Rivos, saying it poached engineers who stole proprietary information as part of the recruitment process.

Cupertino said Rivos plans to design chips that will compete with its own — and starting with Apple’s own technology.

Apple integrates two new smart water bottles with Health app

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The Pro Steel model keeps beverages cold for 24 hours and will nag you to drink water many times over that period.
The Pro Steel model keeps beverages cold for 24 hours and will nag you to drink water many times over that period.
Photo: Apple

Are you drinking enough water? Probably not. But if you want to know for sure, Apple’s online and retail stores have started selling two new smart water bottles from HidrateSpark. They automatically track your water intake and sync it to the Apple Health app.

They do it for a price, that is. The two new smart water bottles are $80 and $60. And if drinking enough water on a regular basis adds years to your life, that might actually be worth it.

Save a whopping $100 or more on latest iPad mini

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2021 iPad mini 6
If you've been thinking about the newest iPad mini, now is the time to jump on it.
Photo: Apple

There’s never been a better time to buy an iPad mini 6, the brilliantly redesigned model from 2021. You can pick up Apple’s smallest tablet at its smallest price yet: an amazing $99 below the usual cost for the base model. And those willing to upgrade to more storage can save $109.

This deal is just in time for Mother’s Day. Plus Father’s Day and high school graduations are also coming up. An iPad mini makes a great gift!

Hyper’s new MagSafe iPhone stand charges 4 devices at once

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New HyperDrive iPhone MagSafe desktop stand also charges 3 other Apple devices
Got four Apple devices you need to wirelessly charge at once? Hyper has you covered.
Photo: Hyper

Power up all your Apple mobile devices with the HyperJuice 4-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe. The desktop stand can simultaneously juice up an iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods and fourth device of your choice… like a second iPhone.

As a bonus, the iPhone MagSafe stand folds up for easier transport. And it can get power from either USB-C or a DC charger.

Would you buy a drone just to take selfies? Now you can.

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The Pixy drone can be your flying camera.
The Pixy drone can be your flying camera.
Photo: Pixy

If you take selfie photos constantly, maybe you’re ready to move beyond smartphone camera timers and selfie sticks for your pics. Is it time to start dabbling in aerial photography?

Sure, why not. Especially if Snapchat’s second-ever piece of hardware finds an audience when it goes on sale.

Snapchat’s parent company, Snap, unveiled a drone called “Pixy” last week. It said the little flying camera is designed for taking selfies.

Apple’s ‘controversial’ Mighty Mouse lives on with some TLC [Setups]

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The Mighty Mouse and the Leopold mechanical keyboard in this MacBook Pro setup are both rarities.
The Mighty Mouse and the Leopold mechanical keyboard in this MacBook Pro setup are both rarities.
Photo: [email protected]

Here at Setups Central we love spotting people working with gear we rarely or never see. Today’s featured setup includes rarities in the form of its input devices.

One of the peripherals is a high-quality Leopold mechanical keyboard and the other is an original Apple Mighty Mouse, which first came out in 2005. It was the company’s first mouse with more than one button as well as a trackball.

The setup’s owner called the mouse “kind of controversial.” And it was.

Roku users can now enjoy Apple Music

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Roku users can now enjoy Apple Music
Add Roku to the list of devices that can play Apple Music.
Photo: Roku

Apple Music is now available on Roku streaming devices. Starting Monday, subscribers to the Apple’s streaming music service can listen on any Roku.

This adds to the list of extensive devices that can play Apple Music.

Spark email app: A powerhouse for iPhone, iPad and Mac [Awesome Apps]

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Spark - featured image

Awesome Apps is a new series highlighting the best apps around. We will feature our favorite apps as well as new and notable ones. Apps are transformative, and these are the best.

I’ve spent years searching the App Store for the best email app – and in doing so, I’ve tried them all. Spark is my favorite because it equips users with accessible power features, which make wrangling email on iOS, iPadOS and macOS as easy as ABC.

When friends of mine bemoan the limitations of Apple’s built-in Mail app, I point them to Spark, from Ukrainian developer Readdle. Spark is by no means a new addition to the App Store. But over the years, the developer added a strong set of features – many of which found their way into other email clients for iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Grab one of these last-minute Mother’s Day deals

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These last-minute Mother's Day gifts are life savers.
Give Mom the best day with these Mother's Day gifts.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Your mom deserves nice things every day of the year, but Mother’s Day is coming up fast. You get the card (and maybe some flowers), and we’ll take care of the present.

There’s no reason to scour the stores looking for something that fits your mother just right when we have a set of last-minute gifts that’ll look like you’ve planned them for months. All five of these deals also come with free shipping using code SHIP4FREE!

There’s still hope for body temp sensor in Apple Watch Series 8

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There's still hope for body temperature sensor in Apple Watch Series 8
Apple Watch Series 8 will have a body temp sensor if Apple can get it right.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple developers are trying to enable the upcoming Apple Watch Series 8 to sense the wearer’s body temperature, according to a trusted analyst. But it’s not a done deal. Cupertino also hoped to make sensing body temp part of Series 7 but couldn’t work out the bugs.

This is just one of the health-related sensors that are proving to be a challenge for the Apple Watch team.

This job-application app can save you hundreds of hours of grunt work

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This app can apply to hundreds of jobs a day for you.
Let this time-saving app apply to jobs for you.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Applying for jobs can feel like a job of its own. Finding a killer job opportunity is hard enough, but when you have to attach your resume, then enter in that same info a minute later, your time gets eaten up fast.

The LazyApply app lets you automate some of the most exhausting steps of the job-application process. And for a limited time, you can snag a lifetime subscription for just $67 (regularly $999).