Restart your Touch Bar in an instant. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Whatever your opinion may be on the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar, there’s no denying it comes in handy from time to time. Except when it freezes — which can be a common occurrence — and then it’s no use at all.
You might reboot your MacBook Pro to get its Touch Bar working again when this happens. But there is a quicker, much less disruptive fix. Here’s how to restart your Touch Bar without rebooting your Mac.
Things keep getting dicier for the Fox family. Photo: Apple TV+
The Foxes hit Mexico City this week on The Mosquito Coast, the simmering new Apple TV show about a family off the grid and on the run. They’re fugitives, but that doesn’t stop them from becoming tourists, with all that entails.
This week’s episode, titled “Elvis, Jesus, Coca-Cola,” tightens the noose around the criminal family of four, while showing off the wider world they’ve been missing out on.
Reachability makes even the largest iPhone models easy to use one-handed. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Reachability remains alive and well in iOS 14 — even if you have an iPhone without a Home button. The feature, which makes even the largest iPhone models easier to operate with one hand, is super-simple to use with just a quick flick of the thumb.
However, Reachability is disabled by default, so you’ll need to turn it on. Here’s how to enable and use Reachability in the latest iPhone firmware.
3D games, video editing, a million browser tabs -- how would you try to jam up a MacBook Air M1? Photo: Typical_Andrew@Reddit
If you owned a new MacBook Air with an M1 chip and 16GB of unified memory, how much would you have to do at once for it to freeze, bringing up the spinning beach ball of death?
A Macintosh signed by Apple's co-founder is like the Mac fan's Holy Grail. Photo: MacPaw
Fancy seeing an original Macintosh 128k, signed by Steve Wozniak? Want to feast your eyes on Apple’s first “portable” computer, which tipped the scales at nearly 16 pounds? How about eyeballing a rare Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh, the only computer Cupertino ever made that was delivered to customers in a limo, and installed by Apple employees wearing tuxedos?
If you answered “yes” to all these questions, then there’s one more to ask: Are you willing to catch a flight to Kyiv, Ukraine — approximately 6,000 miles from Apple’s home in Cupertino — to look at them in person?
We don't get nearly enough Imelda Staunton this season. Photo: Apple TV+
No one’s favorite young parents-to-be return for another go-round in Trying, the maddening Apple TV+ show about the travails of a British couple who really want children.
Unfortunately, the show’s second season, which debuts Friday, proves just as exhausting and depressing as its first.
MacOptimizer keeps your Mac in top shape. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
No matter how great you are at updating your Mac and closing all your windows, you’ll inevitably run into some performance issues now and again. These days, we rely on our computers too much to deal with any downtime. That’s true whether you need to hop into an important meeting in 10 minutes, or were right about to find out the twist in your favorite streaming series.
Antonio García Martínez, a former Facebook product manager, was recently hired and fired by Apple within the space of a few weeks. In a recent Twitter Space chat with journalists Kara Swisher and Casey Newton, Martínez opened up regarding the specific writing from his book that was widely circulated before his Apple departure. The book describes San Francisco Bay Area women as “soft and weak, cosseted and naive despite their claims of worldliness, and generally full of sh*t.”
Bag yours before the price returns to normal. Photo: Apple
Apple’s new MagSafe Duo Charger for iPhone and Apple Watch just got its very first discount on Amazon. Order yours today for $112.45 — down from $129 — before the price returns to normal.
Even the Staples Singers can't save this nostalgia-riddled mess. Photo: Apple TV+
With 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything, Apple TV+ tried to buy itself a Ken Burns-style documentary about the potent cultural impact of rock and soul. Unfortunately, the eight-episode documentary series, which premieres Friday, proves so low-energy it will put you to sleep.
This deceptively “comprehensive” look at a single year in music history proves as scatterbrained and toothless as a school project. The impression it leaves is not that 1971 really changed everything, but that no one is even remotely willing to admit that their favorite bands really aren’t that interesting.
Pick up an Amazon Smart Plug with Alexa support and enjoy 40% off the usual price for a limited time only. The device adds voice and smartphone control to any electrical outlet, and allows you to schedule lights, fans, and other appliances to turn on an off automatically.
Get yours today for just $14.99 — down from $24.99.
"Good morning. I've got some great testimony to share with you today." Photo: Apple
You don’t get bigger witnesses when it comes to an Apple trial than Tim Cook. Cook, the 10-year CEO of Apple, will today take the stand in the ongoing court case pitting Apple against Fortnite maker Epic.
With the trial expected to end Monday, Cook’s Friday testimony will be a “One more thing” event as Apple’s lawyers attempt to dismantle Epic’s case (and vice versa on the part of Epic’s legal team).
Blue bubbles good. Green bubbles bad. Or something. Photo: Killian Bell's Peartree Productions/Cult of Mac
Considering that blue and green aren’t too far apart on the color spectrum, the difference between sending blue bubble messages and green bubble messages is pretty stark. The former, of course, means that the user is sending an iMessage, while the latter is a generic SMS, probably from an Android device.
For years, a certain segment of the population have mocked the green bubble crowd — with the gist being that a green bubble sender must have something wrong with them if they don’t own an iPhone. In a recent tweet, the CEO of a popular startup noted something else: That green bubble startup founders may have a tougher time landing investment.
“Unfortunate reality: if you don’t have iMessage, you are less likely to succeed at work,” Joshua Browder, the CEO of legal tech firm DoNotPay, tweeted this week. “The blue bubbles build trust!”
The Logitech Combo Touch includes a well-designed iPad Pro keyboard and trackpad. And it looks great. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Logitech Combo Touch combines an iPad Pro case with a kickstand and removable keyboard. It sets itself apart from the crowd with a large trackpad and using the Smart Connector rather than Bluetooth.
I brought this keyboard case into my daily work life for most of a week. I also compared it to the Apple Magic Keyboard. Here’s why I like it.
PopGrip for MagSafe and PopWallet+ for MagSafe attach to an iPhone 12 with magnets, not adhesive. Photo: PopSockets
The new MagSafe system for iPhone is a huge boon for PopGrips. A new collection of these pop-up phone handles can cling to the magnets built into the back of the latest Apple models, but also be easily detached.
PopSockets released PopGrip for MagSafe and PopWallet+ for MagSafe on Thursday, and these don’t have to be glued on. Or built into cases.
Rebecca Ferguson will star in Wool, a drama series based on Hugh Howey’s New York Times bestselling trilogy of dystopian novels. Photo: Apple TV+
The collection of sci-fi series available on Apple TV+ is growing again with a series order for Wool. It’s based on a bestselling trilogy of dystopian novels, and will star Rebecca Ferguson.
When available, it’ll join several other sci-fi series on Apple’s streaming video service.
Apple shows what the world would look like if brick-and-mortar businesses were just as nosy as apps.
Apple has a new video for all the people who took a TL;DR approach to the iPhone’s new App Tracking Transparency. Rather than read an explanation of the feature that debuted in April, there’s a short video showing what the world would look like if brick-and-mortar businesses were able to follow people the way apps can.
Enjoy Apple Music anywhere. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
If you are unable to play Apple Music tracks when you’re driving or out and about, it’s probably because you need to enable streaming over a cellular connection. We’ll show you how.
It’s not a good day for iMessage Photo: Cult of Mac/Mabel Amber/Pexels CC
Update: Apple fixed the problem it was having with iMessage on Thursday.
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If you aren’t getting texts from your friends, don’t blame your iPhone. It’s a larger problem. Apple reports that its iMessage service has been having difficulties for several hours.
Connect an iPhone to legacy speakers over AirPlay 2 with Belkin’s Soundform Connect. Photo: Belkin
The audio limitations of Bluetooth have been much in the news lately, so Belkin picked the perfect time to launch Soundform Connect. The wireless adapter allows iPhone users to communicate to any speaker over AirPlay 2… that’s Wi-Fi and high-quality audio.
Apple once labelled the Apple TV a “hobby.” Now, six generations down the line, it’s proven it’s longevity as an interest for Apple. But is it the “must-have” streaming box the company has long promised?
With the review embargoes having lifted for the 2021 Apple TV 4K, it seems like Apple may have finally cracked the formula. And all it took were some neat upgrades and switching out that darn Siri Remote for something a whole lot better.
The top-rated language app just dropped its price to $179 for a limited time. Photo: Babbel
There are plenty of benefits to learning a new language, whether you want to live in a different country for a few years or land a role where there’s a secondary language requirement. Either way, learning a language doesn’t just have benefits for travel. It can sharpen your problem-solving skills and open up a whole new world of job opportunities.
5G has been a killer feature in Japan. Photo: Apple
The iPhone 12 series has led a massive boom in smartphone shipments, particularly 5G models, in Japan.
According to a new report, Japan was the recipient of a 17% boost in smartphone shipments over the past 12 months. There was also a massive 40-fold increase in 5G handset shipments. Of the 5G smartphones, the iPhone 12 series made up almost half.
Start testing Opera GX today. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Gaming-focused web browser Opera GX is on its way to iPhone and iPad, almost two years after its initial debut. It comes with a customizable interface, the ability to sync with Opera GX on desktop, and ad blocking.
The browser also offers a number of unique features aimed at gamers, like GX Corner, which highlights gaming news and deals. Anyone can download and try out the Opera GX beta today. We’ll show you how.