The Belkin Wemo Stage Scene Controller replaces light switches with a much more powerful option. Photo: Belkin
A wall switch can turn on a light or two, but the Wemo Stage Scene Controller from Belkin can activate an entire scene, controlling lights, thermostats, music and other devices all around the house.
It ties into Apple’s HomeKit home automation system allowing someone to press a single button to launch their movie night scene, or wake their house up in the morning, for example.
Get your wallet ready for April 23. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
iPhone 12 and 12 mini will soon be available in a brand-new purple color option, alongside AirTag — Apple’s very first item tracker. You can preorder all three devices starting Friday, April 23, ahead of their release on April 30.
AirTags could be a big hit for Apple. Photo: Apple
The first AirTags reviews and unboxing videos paint a pretty positive picture of Apple’s new tracking tags. After a short time using AirTags, reviewers praise the tiny trackers’ design as “classic Apple” and their precise finding capabilities as “utility-driven augmented reality.”
However, they also point out some limitations — including surprising scuffability!
From App Store to Apple Music, every Apple platform is going all-in on Earth Day. Photo: Apple
Today is Earth Day and, to celebrate the occasion, Apple’s introduced a plethora of “Earth Day programming” across its various platforms, including the App Store, Apple TV+, and Apple Watch. For today, at least, no matter where you go for your Earth Day reminders, Apple’s got you covered.
This device keeps your internet experience safe. Photo: Deeper Network
With the amount of time we’re all spending on the internet, it’s essential that we protect our devices from getting hacked. After all, no one wants to be tracked by companies or spied on by unknown entities.
What to expect from iOS 15. Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
iOS 15 will include tweaked user notifications, an updated Lock Screen, an iMessage overhaul, additional privacy features and a redesigned iPad Home Screen, according to Bloomberg.
Until now, little has been reported about iOS/iPadOS 15 ahead of its likely debut at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference this June. Thursday’s report says Apple refers to the upcoming upgrade internally as “Sky.”
Apple is ramping up the advertising side of its App Store business, according to the Financial Times.
The company currently sells App Store ads, allowing developers to pay for top spots. But soon Apple will roll out another advertising spot for sale in the “Suggested” apps section. This will allow developers to more widely promote their apps, rather than having them show up only in response to certain search terms.
Penguins too fill us in on The Year Earth Changed Photo: Apple TV+
Ninety-four-year-old David Attenborough is a beloved institution — and he may have helped Apple rack up one of its biggest viewership wins for Apple TV+ thus far.
According to Deadline, the Attenborough-narrated The Year Earth Changed documentary special is the most-viewed documentary currently on Apple TV+ in the United States. That’s ahead of high profile titles like Beastie Boys Story, Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, and Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You.
“CODA” did very, very well at Sundance Film Festival, and Apple TV+ subscribers will be able to see it summer 2021. Photo: Apple
CODA cleaned up at the 2021 Sundance film festival, and the film is now headed for Apple TV+. It’ll debut on the streaming service on August 13, and in theaters on the same day
Hackers leaked details that help confirm that a 2021 MacBook Pro model will look much like this. Concept: Ian Zelbo/Renders by Ian
Hackers reportedly stole plans for two upcoming 2021 MacBook Pro models from Quanta and leaked details. These help confirm earlier reports that Apple’s next notebook will see a return of MagSafe, the HDMI port and an SD card reader. But no Touch Bar.
A brand-new screen saver for your M1 Mac. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Apple’s latest macOS update ships with a brand-new “Hello” screen saver, inspired by the very first Macintosh, for M1 Macs. Enabling it isn’t quite as simple as just selecting a new screen saver in System Preferences, however.
We’ll show you how to manually install the new Mac screen saver on an M1 Mac ASAP.
The Brydge 12.9 Max+ turns your iPad Pro into a clamshell laptop. Photo: Brydge
The Brydge 12.9 Max+ is a magnetic clip-on keyboard for the largest iPad Pro models. It includes a sizable trackpad, and a design that mimics a clamshell laptop.
It uses some of the features of the popular Apple Magic Keyboard, but goes in a different direction.
Buyers of the 2021 iPad Pro will have keyboards and cases to choose from when the tablet launches, including the Logitech Combo Touch. Photo: Logitech
For all its many improvements, the basic design of the 2021 iPad Pro changed hardly at all. That’s good news for anyone in the market for a case or keyboard for Apple’s new tablet, as it means there’s a wide variety available.
But a change in the thickness of the 12.9-inch version mans that many existing products aren‘t compatible. That said, there are already options from Logitech, Brydge, Otterbox and Apple itself that are confirmed to work with the new computer. And likely more that’ll still fit.
Nothing like a big new display and new furniture to put the "set" in "setup." Photo: WRM2@Reddit
After working remotely as a digital marketer for a startup for more than a year, EU-based Redditor WMR2 decided it was time to upgrade the ol’ MacBook Pro-based work/podcasting/gaming setup. Enter new desk, chair and external display.
What, you were expecting a new computer? That’s not always necessary.
They want Apple blocked from importing Apple Watches into the U.S. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
AliveCor, a company which makes Apple device-compatible, FDA-cleared ECG devices, has sued Apple for allegedly infringing on three of its patents with the Apple Watch. An ECG — or electrocardiogram — records the rhythm, the rate, and the electrical activity of the heart.
The health-conscious startup claims, in a press release, that Apple is trying to “eliminate” it as competition in this space. Until the matter is settled, it wants a judge to stop Apple from importing the Apple Watch into the United States. That would, in essence, stop Apple from selling the Apple Watch in its biggest market.
A fine-tuned résumé can land you your dream job. Photo: Rezi
Even the most experienced job applicants can feel overwhelmed by the ever-changing world of résumés. They need to be tailored to each job, updated every few months, and optimized to increase your chances of landing an interview. And even with all that work involved, there’s only a 25% chance that a hiring manager will see it. That’s right: 75% of résumés go entirely unseen by employers and hiring managers.
Foxconn factory in U.S. won't be nearly as ambitious as promised. Photo: CBS
Foxconn’s promised $10 billion LCD plant in Wisconsin isn’t happening. At least, not on anywhere close to the same level that was promised back in the summer of 2017.
The Apple contract manufacturer previously received a “record-setting incentives package” for a plant that would create 13,000 jobs. Now, the Wall Street Journal reports, Foxconn has renegotiated the deal — and will invest a total of $672 million by 2025 and create just 1,454 jobs in the region.
Hackers have reportedly stolen information about new MacBooks. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Prolific criminal ransomware group REvil its trying to extort money from Apple, following a data-stealing cyberattack on one of its Mac suppliers. It wants Apple to pay an undisclosed sum by May 1 if it doesn’t want its proprietary data made public.
Quanta, one of Apple’s larger suppliers, confirmed Wednesday that it had been hit with a ransomware attack. The company said that it was doing its best to recover the missing data.
The trailer for season 2 of Ted Lasso is now available to watch online, following its debut during yesterday’s “Spring Loaded” Apple event.
The new season is set to debut July 23 on Apple TV+, with Jason Sudeikis — unsurprisingly — returning to the role of lovable football underdog coach Ted Lasso for more fish-out-of-water hijinks. Check it out below.
Up to five family members can soon share an Apple Card. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple Card holding parents can soon give their teenagers access to the credit card. Adults can share a card and teens can be allowed limited usage thanks to the upcoming Apple Card Family feature.
The wait for iOS 14.5 is almost over — it’ll be out before the end of April. The same goes for iPadOS 14.5. Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple revealed on Tuesday that iOS 14.5 and the iPad equivalent will reach customers iPhones and tablets some time “next week.” These include a rush of new features, like unlocking an iPhone with an Apple Watch. And a controversial change that make it harder for apps to track users for ads.
To help make the launches possible, developers were given access to the release candidates for these upcoming operating system versions on Tuesday. They can both look for bugs and test their own applications with the new OS versions.
We finally got our first legit look at an AirTag, but that was just the beginning! Photo: Apple
Wow, that was the speediest, most jam-packed Apple event in recent memory.
It was so quick-moving, we all got whiplash. There was barely time to catch your breath between announcements: Here’s a new purple iPhone. Fuggedaboutit, here’s a new Apple TV, and new AirTags. Oh, and hers’s new iMacs — and iPads!!
In an hour, Tim Cook and Co. managed to introduce a raft of products with dozens of new features and technologies while dazzling us with some pretty jaw-dropping promo videos.
Once again, the prerecorded format worked well. The promo videos in Tuesday’s “Spring Loaded” event looked super. They hit us with a great mix of head-spinning effects and angles, humor and product placement.
Here are some thoughts and initial reactions to some of the major announcements:
Man, that was one powerful presentation. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
It’s 4/20 and Apple’s big iMac and iPad Pro launch event was a total trip. The new Mac desktop comes in a rainbow of colors, and the M1 processor in the latest tablet will blow you away. And there’s AirTag too, at long last.
Grab some snacks and get ready to find out what the new products mean for Apple users and for the company’s future.
These sweatproof and waterproof earbuds can stand up to your active lifestyle. Photo: Skullcandy
While wired, over-the-ear headphones can make you feel like you’re in an actual music studio, wireless earbuds offer something no pair of headphones can: freedom. The freedom to listen to your favorite songs anywhere during any activity is what makes ditching the wire so appealing. And that’s exactly what sets apart the Skullcandy Push Ultra True Wireless Earbuds.