The Coalition for a Safer Web, a Washington DC-based nonprofit, is suing Apple for not removing messaging app Telegram from the App Store.
In a lawsuit filed Sunday, Marc Ginsberg, a former U.S. ambassador to Morroco, and the coalition say the app remains in the App Store “despite Apple’s knowledge that Telegram is being used to intimidate, threaten, and coerce members of the public.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook refused to take the bait about Apple Car during a Sunday interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News. After Cook commented that Apple continues “making the best products in the world,” Wallace asked if that would include an Apple Car.
Cook responded by laughing, and said he “can’t comment on rumors and so forth.” Wallace then pushed back, saying that Cook could comment, he was just choosing not to. “You’re right,” Cook said, ending the exchange. “I choose not to. Touché.”
A fingerprint scanner might once again be part of Apple’s iPhone line, according to a reliable source. Touch ID might appear in 2021 alongside Face ID, not in place of it.
Also, Apple reportedly has a folding screen in the prototype stage.
A recent restoration project brought vintage Mac MP3 player Audion back from the edge of oblivion. You can get Audion, and its more than 800 wild and wooly custom user interfaces, for free.
If you’re interested in how software design has evolved, you’ll love this totally trippy flashback to the bad old days when we all crammed our hard drives full of downloaded MP3s.
If you’d rather deal with more pressing matters, we’ve got other new apps to showcase in this week’s roundup. EZ Estate will help you get your final affairs in order. A new RSS reader will make you fall in love with an otter. You can display your HomeKit scenes in iOS widgets and more.
Apple just added up to five months to current Apple TV+ free trials. If your free access to the streaming video service was about to expire, it’s instead been extended until the end of June.
And Apple is giving monthly rebates to those who paid for an annual subscription.
There’s no better time than the new year to start thinking about a new skill to learn. While you might be considering changing careers by learning how to code, or developing a passion side project in photography, don’t count out learning a new language.
Mastering a second tongue can open up all kinds of doors, from getting you a new job (possibly even in a new country) to earning you a promotion. This lifetime subscription Babbel Language Learning gives you access to 14 different languages and more than 10,000 hours of intuitive lessons. But hurry — the sale ends in 24 hours!
From CES product unveilings to juicy rumors, this week suffered zero shortage of new for Apple fans. You’ll find the cream of the crop in this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. As always, it’s free — and it’s ready for consumption on your iOS device of choice.
I don’t want to slow you down on your way to the week’s top news stories. But if you use Safari (and you really should), don’t miss our new series of how-tos on getting the most out of Apple’s web browser. Those Safari Pro Tips are in the mag as well.
Or you can get it all, plus our reviews of the new Apple TV+ seasons of Servant and Dickinson, in your browser at the links below.
We’ve all been bothered at untimely moments by spam calls and texts. Short of getting a second phone with an alternate contact number, there is actually a way to prevent those pesky calls that interrupt you, your workflow and your relaxation time. This discounted two-year subscription to RoboKiller Spam Call & Text Blocker will eliminate 99% of spam calls, so you only get the phone calls you want (without needing to manually screen anything).
You may think you have all the Apple accessories you need. AirPods? Check. MagSafe wireless charger? Check. Portable battery pack? Check.
Still, there’s an accessory out there for your iPhone and iPad that you probably didn’t know you wanted — and it is possible the most awesome one yet. Enter the WiFi Digital Microscope. Not only is it super-cool, but right now, it’s on sale for just $55.95.
Apple is reportedly considering a for-pay podcast subscription service. It would join other Apple services offering premium content, like Apple TV+ and News+.
The news sent shares of rival Spotify down over 7% on Friday.
We want to help you master Safari. Cult of Mac’s Safari Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of Apple’s web browser on iOS and Mac.
If you prefer an entirely unadulterated experience when browsing the web, you probably find yourself frequently loading websites in desktop mode in Safari on iPhone. But rather than having to enable this mode every time you visit a new site, you can have Safari fetch desktop websites automatically.
We’ll show you have to set it up in this Safari pro tip.
Dickinson ambles closer to the edge of its hero’s fame and madness in this season’s fourth episode, which serves as a meditation on creative blockage.
Though oft charming and frequently beautiful, the postmodern Apple TV+ show about the 19th-century poet still suffers from an irreconcilable identity crisis. This week’s episode, released Friday, takes no steps to resolve the situation.
The iMac is about to get the dramatic redesign so many people have been hoping for, according to a highly reliable source. Smaller bezels and an M-series processor are highlights.
Apple is also reportedly planning a significant redesign of the Mac Pro desktop.
A powerful processor and 5G wireless networking will force Apple to build a cooling system into the 2022 iPhone, according to an analyst and trusted Apple prognosticator.
But the system Apple is reportedly investigating won’t be ready in time for the iPhone 13, expected this autumn.
Smartwatches such as Apple Watch could detect COVID-19 infections a week before the wearer feels sick or would test positive for the novel coronavirus, two medical studies suggest.
Since such devices can identify subtle changes in heart rate that might indicate an early infection, they could spot asymptomatic individuals, who make up a sizable proportion of COVID-19 cases.
If you don’t want your Apple Watch to look just like everyone else’s, pair it with a unique band unlike any other. Choose a Wood Mark strap from the Cult of Mac Store — made almost entirely out of wood — and enjoy 25% off the usual price for a limited time.
They’re wonderfully comfortable, long-lasting, and kind on the environment. This discount ends later today, so enjoy it while you can!
Apple’s MagSafe branding technically made a return last year with the iPhone 12. But the MagSafe fans most fondly recall — the neat magnetic charging system for the MacBook — is also gearing up to make a comeback.
According to a Friday report from Bloomberg, Apple is bringing back MagSafe for this year’s MacBook Pro refresh. The connector will reportedly be similar in design to the “elongated pill-shape” original MagSafe. It will provide faster charging for the MacBook.
Want to build your own app or game in 2021, even if you’ve never tried before? These top-rated creator kits are the easiest way to do it. And even better, right now The Complete AppGameKit Game Creator Bundle is on sale for just $29.99, an amazing 84% off the regular price.
Apple’s A14 chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is gearing up for “risk production” of its next-gen chips, Digitimes reported Friday.
The chips in question are TSMC’s 3-nanometer chips, expected to be the eventual successor to the current 5-nanometer chips. Risk production refers to the dress rehearsal process for manufacturing, in which things appear ready to go, but are not quite ready to go into mass production just yet.
According to reliable TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the next-gen MacBook Pro will come in 14- and 16-inch sizes, feature more ports and bring back the MagSafe charger in some form (!). And, of course, the high-end laptops will run on new Apple Silicon chips.
But the first big MacBook Pro redesign in half a decade also do away with the Touch Bar, the controversial — and never entirely successful — innovation Apple debuted back in 2016.
2021 not scary enough for you? Apple TV+ is here to help. On Friday, Apple debuted the first episode of season two of Servant. The creepy psychological thriller series from Tony Basgallop and M. Night Shyamalan spooked audiences with its first season about the supernatural goings-on involving “baby” Jericho and nanny Leanne.
Check out the season 2 trailer below:
The Aukey Omnia Mix wall charger offers a USB-C port that can handle anything from an iPhone to a MacBook. It’s palm-size but the 65W portable power adapter also includes a USB-A port for other electronics, like an Apple Watch.
My real-world testing included using the affordable charger with multiple Apple devices. Here’s how it stood up.
If you pride yourself on being up-to-date with the latest iPhone 12, you need to do your device justice by upgrading to the best accessories for it, too. One essential you can’t go without for optimal use is a powerful wireless charger.
Thankfully, right now this cool MagSafe Wireless Charging Cable + 20W Adapter for iPhone 12 is on sale for just $32.99 – that’s a great 17% discount off the regular price of $39.
Apple premiered the first trailer for Cherry, a drama starring Tom Holland, on Thursday. Although best known for playing Spider-Man, Holland’s upcoming film is far grittier, telling the story of an Iraq war veteran with PTSD who spirals into drug addiction and bank robbery.
The movie is coming to theaters in February and Apple TV+ in the spring.
Watch the trailer now:
We want to help you master Safari. Cult of Mac’s Safari Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of Apple’s web browser on iOS and Mac.
How many times have you downloaded something from the internet and then had to spend way too much time trying to figure out where it was saved? It’s probably a common occurrence — especially on iOS.
But did you know that you can tell Safari exactly where to save your downloads so that you never lose them? We’ll show you how in this Safari pro tip.