A worker inspects machinery at ELYSIS’s Industrial Research and Development Centre in Quebec. Photo: Apple
Apple said Thursday it plans to use the world’s first commercial-grade, low-carbon aluminum in the iPhone SE. It will come from a Canadian company called Elysis. And funds from Apple’s $4.7 billion in Green Bonds supporting green technology will pay for it.
It’s the first aluminum manufactured at industrial scale without carbon emissions. That makes it better for the environment than aluminum produced by other manufacturing techniques.
Roar premieres April 15,, exclusively on Apple TV+. Image: Apple TV+
The trailer for Roar shows the anthology series lives up to its billing as “darkly comic feminist fables.” It will premier on Apple TV+ in mid-April, but the trailer gives an an early look at the array of episodes.
And it’s not the only dark comedy headed for the streaming service. Apple on Thursday also announced Bad Sisters, which will debut later in 2022.
Spotify will be first to offer its own billing method. Image: Google
Google on Thursday confirmed that it will give “a small number of participating developers” the ability to implement third-party payment methods in their Android apps as part of a pilot program called User Choice Billing.
Spotify, first to take advantage of the change, will offer Google Play’s billing system as well as its own. The move puts even more pressure on Apple, which has been fighting hard to block third-party payment systems on iOS.
How is macOS Monterey 12.3 holding up for you? Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
A growing number of Mac users are reporting issues with external monitors and game controllers after updating to macOS Monterey 12.3.
Some say their Mac no longer detects connected displays at all, while others are frustrated that their Xbox, PlayStation, and other third-party gamepads are not functioning over Bluetooth — even when the controller is connected.
If, like none of us, you often sit around wishing you could combine your old iPod Hi-Fi with a Nintendo 3DS, today is your lucky day. One YouTube video shows it is possible connect both gadgets — and they work surprisingly well together.
The hack is super-simple, requiring nothing more than a few basic adapters for iPod Hi-Fi’s ancient 30-pin connector, so there’s no need to pull anything apart. And it even allows the Nintendo 3DS to be controlled by an iPod Hi-Fi remote.
Protect your data and your privacy with this two-pack of apps.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
There are two ways to keep your information and your network secure: a strong cloud backup and an equally impressive virtual private network. Between the two of them, your files will be safe even if your devices aren’t. And your network and personal data will be invisible to outsiders.
Mac Studio's X-ray is oddly terrifying. Photo: Creative Electron/iFixit
The gadget butchers at iFixit have finally gotten their hands on Mac Studio. After many hours on the operating table, Apple’s newest desktop has been pulled apart to give us a detailed look at its compact yet powerful insides.
You may be surprised to learn that many of Mac Studio’s components — including its SSDs and connectivity ports — are modular, which means they can be replaced if things go wrong. But user upgrades are out of the question.
Look closely and you’ll see something odd in an image Apple used to publicize the iPhone’s new digital driver’s licenses. In the upper corner of the Wallet app, where there should be a back arrow, instead there’s what looks like a fancy version of a “hamburger” menu button.
It’s possible the image was taken off a device running a prerelease version of iOS 16, and includes a change coming in the next iPhone operating system.
Or it might be only a glitch, and we’re trying too hard to see what Apple has planned.
Create stunning PDF flipbooks in minutes with FlipBooklets. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
How you present information is often as important as what you present. Instead of relying on the same menu of tools every other professional uses, you can make yourself stand out with a clean, refined digital book.
FlipBooklets lets you create interactive PDF flip booklets that can be read on any device. And right now, the app’s on sale for $99 (regularly $360).
The MacBook Air line could expand with a model that sports a 15-inch display. Image: Cult of Mac
A 15-inch MacBook Air is on Apple’s agenda for 2023, according to a reliable source. And the current 13-inch version could be replaced by a one with somewhat larger screen.
In addition, the same source says the display in the budget iPad is in for a size increase, too.
If you like to wear your Apple Watch to the gym as well as the office, you need a band that’s ready for anything. And you won’t find better than the brilliant (and insanely affordable) silicone band from BluShark.
Available in a bunch of great color options — as well as smooth and textured finishes — the BluShark band is wonderfully comfortable no matter what. It’s also surprisingly tough and easy to clean. Bag yours today for just $10.
The 2022 Kia Niro hybrid SUV will feature Car Keys functionality. Photo: Kia
In 2020, Apple launched Car Keys as part of CarPlay in iOS for use with a range of BMW models, allowing owners to use their iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock their car. But soon owners of certain Kia and Genesis car models will be able to do the same.
Making a Gif with Twitter’s iPhone app is a snap. Photo: Cult of Mac
Twitter made creating a GIF as easy as posting an image. Using the iPhone camera, users can capture a short video in the social-networking service’s app that is automatically converted into a GIF.
Here’s how to make your own GIFs with the Twitter app. It’s easy and fun.
The Mac Studio replaced an LG 5K monitor. So far, no complaints. Photo: [email protected]
The official release date for sales of Apple’s new Studio Display was Friday, March 18 — same as the Mac Studio desktop computer. Both are winning accolades — the desktop more than the display, actually — but in the days since launch we’ve seen quite a few more of the displays cropping up on social media site posts by new owners than the desktops.
There could be various reasons for that. It could mean more people are buying the displays. Or maybe display shipping has been more efficient. Or it could be that displays are simply a little faster and easier to add to a computer setup, so they’re showing up quicker.
Today’s featured setup pairs the new Studio Display — which ousted an LG 5K monitor — with a 14-inch M1 MacBook Pro.
A whole bunch of other states will also add support. Image: Apple
Apple on Wednesday confirmed that digital driver’s licenses and IDs are now available inside the Wallet app in Arizona. Colorado, Hawaii, Mississippi, Ohio, and the territory of Puerto Rico have also pledged their support.
Cupertino first announced its latest Wallet upgrade at WWDC 2021 last June. This is the first time it has been made available to iPhone users.
Samsung is already hiding cameras on its Z Fold3. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
iPhone 15 Pro, which is expected to make its debut in 2023, could be Apple’s first handset with Face ID sensors hidden beneath its screen. This would reduce the amount of display space the front-facing sensors require.
A new report claims Apple will use technology currently being developed by Samsung to make the upgrade possible. In the meantime, Cupertino is gearing up to replace iPhone’s notch with a number of smaller, more subtle cutouts.
This is a fantastic lifetime deal on essential software. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
There are some tools your computer basically requires to be useful. A good word processor, a data-management tool, a slideshow presentation app and an email manager are some of the big ones. You get programs that do all that and more with the Microsoft Office suite. And now you can get them — for life — at a totally killer price.
Yes, Macs come with built-in software that can meet some of these needs. But for some tasks, the Microsoft apps included in the Office bundle prove essential. And right now, lifetime licenses for both the Mac and Windows 2021 versions of Microsoft Office are on sale for just $49.99 (regularly $349).
Credit Kudos is now an Apple subsidiary. Image: Credit Kudos/Apple
Apple this week acquired Credit Kudos, a credit checking startup based in the United Kingdom, according to sources familiar with the matter. An update to the Credit Kudos website confirms it is now an Apple subsidiary.
The move has ignited rumors of an upcoming Apple Card expansion into the U.K. Apple fans on the other side of the pond have been eagerly anticipating its arrival since Apple Card first made its debut in the U.S. in 2019.
It’s a whole new world… of violence. Photo: Disney
Disney is taking many of its classic characters in a darker direction with Disney Mirrorverse, an RPG for mobile devices. Alternate-reality versions of these screen icons will have to team up face a “dark, unrelenting threat.”
Disney revealed Monday that the game will launch June 23. There’s also a trailer to whet players’ appetites.
The LinkedIn profile for Lumon Industries takes issue with the recently released "tell all" book about the fictitious evil company. Photo: Red Hour Films
Every company doing perfectly reputable, above-board business today needs a crisp and descriptive LinkedIn profile. And yes, that includes harrowingly evil and entirely fictitious firms like “Lumon Industries.”
That’s right. Lumon, the ominous company that serves as a setting in the creepy drama Severance on Apple TV+, has a new LinkedIn profile. And it attempts to set the record straight about what some people are saying about the company.
Get in the best shape of your life with this award-winning trainer app. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
The best way to up your fitness is with a complete health app that puts world-class training right in your pocket. One of the very best is the award-winning Jillian Michaels: The Fitness App. Right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to this powerful fitness app for just $149.99. That’s a 66% discount off the regular price of $449.
Add a keyboard and your iPad become a very capable desktop. Or a laptop, if you’d prefer. Photo: Satechi
Your iPad is a powerful computer, and becomes even more so if you attach a keyboard to it. Fortunately, it’s easy. The only complication is there are a bunch of different options.
Let’s go through the possibilities so you can pick the one that’s best for you.
Creators of Apple podcasts will soon be able to access metrics about their followers. Photo: Apple
Apple said Tuesday it’s rolling out a Podcasts update for creators, offering follower metrics and other features. That should help those who produce podcasts to monetize them, in part by tracking their audience through a variety of metrics.
My Macintosh Classic with matching ADB keyboard and mouse. Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
What makes people start collecting vintage Macs? There are many reasons. Some folks want to play abandoned games or use old software on original hardware. Some simply don’t know how to transfer files, and thus keep their old machines as a giant backup, just in case.
I collect old Macs because I care deeply about history. I want to have an informed perspective on the past so I can better understand trends of user-interface design and the evolution of technology.
My first vintage computer was a Macintosh Classic I bought on eBay for about $80. After lifting it out of its shipping box, I reached around the back to flip on the power switch and watch it boot. I loved hearing the whir of the hard drive, the fans humming and the delightful blip!-blip!-blip! noise the disk drive made when reading a floppy.
Apple computers are highly collectible. They span the entire history of personal computing. The company’s unwavering design philosophy, always pushing ease of use, means even the oldest and weirdest Apple computers are never hard to figure out. The historical lineup spans all different kinds of form factors and designs. Not to mention, they look rad.
So, you want to collect old Apple computers, too? Where do you start, and what do you want? Here’s a quick guide to buying classic Macs. These tips should get you started and help you avoid common pitfalls. (If you want to go even deeper, we also provide some links to further reading on the subject.)