Cult of Mac

Facebook ran full-page ads in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal Wednesday, taking aim at Apple privacy features coming soon to iOS 14.

Facebook’s ads claim that the new privacy measures, intended to fill users in on how they are tracked online, will hurt small businesses. That’s because the new iOS feature will affect Facebook’s advertising model, which lets businesses target users with ads based on their personal data.

If the new $549 AirPods Max or the $249 AirPods Pro are a bit pricey for you, don’t worry: According to a new report, Apple plans to launch new “AirPods Lite” wireless earbuds in 2021, priced significantly lower.

The new model would look similar to the current AirPods Pro, but would not include the active noise cancellation feature found in Apple’s top-of-the-line wireless earbuds.

Facebook isn’t happy about what it sees as Apple overstepping its bounds. As reported by Reuters, Facebook says that it hopes new draft EU rules could put Apple in its place when it comes to the power exhibited by the Cupertino tech giant.

“We hope the [Digital Markets Act] will…set boundaries for Apple,” a Facebook spokesperson said. “Apple controls an entire ecosystem from device to App Store and apps, and uses this power to harm developers and consumers, as well as large platforms like Facebook.”

The world may have struggled in 2020, but life’s been good on the App Store — and especially if you’re the makers of PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, Pokémon GO, Coin Master, and Roblox.

Those five mobile games all broke $1 billion in takings in 2020, across both iOS and Android. The first two, both made by Tencent, managed to break through the $2 billion barrier, claims a report from app analytics platform Sensor Tower.

Apple smart speakers got a fresh software update on Tuesday. It brings the full-size and pint-size devices up to HomePod Software Version 14.3.

The Meross Smart WiFi LED Bulb integrates almost any lamp or light fixture into a HomeKit smart home. It can be controlled with an iPhone, and offers color changing and dimming.

I added a pair to my smart home. Here’s how it went.

The psychological thriller Servant will be back for a third season. Apple TV+ went ahead and greenlit the next season event though it’s still a month before Season 2 premiers.

The show tells the story of young couple trying to figure out if their lost child has returned from the dead. Of if they’re going mad. Or something worse is happening. It’s what you’d expect from a series with M. Night Shyamalan involved.

There’s plenty of time to figure out what goals you want to set for the new year, whether you want to learn a new language, figure out how to code or get into the best shape of your life.

If you’re looking for a way to get fit without trekking to the gym, check out this subscription to Jillian Michaels: The Fitness App. For only a fraction of the cost of a gym or studio membership, you can get tips from one of the world’s best trainers, along with customized workouts and a diet plan to match your goals.

Holiday shopping for an Apple Watch fan couldn’t be easier. There are so many awesome bands and accessories out there, you’re bound to find something they’ll love. But we’re here if you need a helping hand.

We’ve rounded up some of the best Apple Watch gifts that are a steal at under $40. There are bands, charging stands, cases, and more to choose from. All from brilliant brands like Mifa, Elago, and Rilee & Lo.

Apple Fitness+ only came online yesterday, but I’ve already logged 10 workouts with it. I let Cupertino’s new subscription service put me through my paces, so I could put it through its paces to bring you this review.

I’m a qualified personal trainer and a fitness fanatic who trains hard every day. So I was curious to find out if Apple Fitness+ could give me a challenging workout.

Travel photographer Austin Mann has been shooting images with a iPhone 12 Pro Max in ProRAW format, and he calls it, “a monumental leap forward in digital imaging on iPhone.”

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

OK, so a quote most readily associated (falsely) with freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi isn’t a perfect fit to describe Apple’s decision to ditch the charger with the iPhone 12. But it certainly seems weirdly appropriate here.

So you’ve gotten every accessory possible for your iPhone 12, from an ultra-tough OtterBox to keep it safe, a nonslip dashboard pad to keep it secure in your car and even a spare set of headphones that let you take conference calls on the fly.

But what about a wireless charger? Stop getting tangled up in wires when you could use this Magnetic Wireless Charger for iPhone 12. It’s the perfect stocking stuffer for the Apple fan in your life. And it’s affordable enough that you can treat yourself with one, too.

The iPhone 12 is seemingly shaping up to be a massive winner for Apple, with a Tuesday report claiming that Apple is set to produce between 20% and 30% more handsets than it did last year.

The report says that Apple has plans to produce up to 230 million iPhones in 2021. While that also includes older handsets like the iPhone 11 and SE, it is primarily driven by “demand for [Apple’s] first-ever 5G” phones, according to Nikkei.

Not ready to make the leap to an Apple M1 processor, but need a new notebook? Check out B&H Photo’s latest deal on the Intel MacBook Air, which is now available with 16GB of RAM at $550 off the usual price.

Get yours before the discount disappears!

There are all sorts of reasons Apple doesn’t recommend that you drop your iPhone out of airplanes. But, if it does accidentally happen, you may not be totally out of luck.

A report from Brazilian news outlet G1 concerns filmmaker Ernesto Galiotto, who accidentally dropped his iPhone 6 out of a plane at a height of 984 feet. An accompanying video shows that Galiotto was trying to use the device to film over a beach 100 miles east of Rio de Janeiro, when it was whipped out of his hand and sent hurtling toward certain death.

Well, almost certain, that is!

Apple’s fancy AirPods Max headphones officially go on sale today, meaning that if you were lucky (or just organized) enough to have ordered them online right away, they should be winging their way to your home as you read this.

They are also available to buy in Apple Stores, although don’t expect plentiful supplies.

These days, you’re probably spending a lot of time in front of your computer, whether it’s for work, a passion project, binge-watching Netflix, or video-calling family and friends. Why limit yourself to a tiny laptop screen when you could expand your view (literally) with a second monitor? This Mobile Pixels DUEX Pro Portable Dual Monitor gives you all the convenience of a second screen, without the usual high price tag and lack of portability — so you can game, multitask, or just browse the web to your heart’s content.

Apple has launched a new repair program to fix iPhone 11 units that have faulty touchscreens. The company says only a “small percentage” of handsets is affected — but is yours one of them? Here’s how to find out.

The Apple TV app tries to do too much. It tries to be too much. And this lack of focus damages the Apple TV+ streaming service. Still, a design change in iOS 14.3 and the iPad equivalent makes it just a little bit easier for subscribers to find Apple TV+ shows and movies.

The small tweak doesn’t go far enough, though. It’s only a tiny step in the right direction. What’s truly needed is a dedicated Apple TV+ app.

Apple’s VO₂ max metric measures the performance of your heart and lungs when you push yourself to the limit. Up until now, though, it’s only been useful to serious fitness fanatics. No wonder Apple buried it in the Health app, where most users never found it.

But watchOS 7.2 and iOS 14.3, which Apple released Monday, change all that. In those updates, the VO₂ max metric has been renamed Cardio Fitness. Now it can detect lower ranges and send alerts when the reading gets too low. That makes it the latest in a series of potentially life-saving health notifications from Apple Watch.

Here’s everything you need to know to get the benefit of this essential new feature.

It’s a big day for Apple fans — there are software updates for iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV.

With an update, iPhone 12 Pro gets support for Apple’s new ProRAW image format. And all iPhone and iPads display new privacy info about third-party apps.

But primarily, the new versions are about adding support for AirPods Max and Apple Fitness+ to a range of operating systems. And bug fixes too.

With Apple Fitness+ set to launch Monday, a handful of early reviews say the subscription service is a winner that makes fitness fun.

If you’ve got an Apple Watch and access to gym equipment in your home, it’s practically a no-brainer at $9.99 a month. Could this be a Peloton beater?

Are you suffering from a case of Cyber Monday FOMO? Here’s a little dose of Christmas delivered early — you can still snag The Official Cyber Monday Mac Bundle Featuring Parallels Pro & Luminar 4 for an extra 40% off, with code MACAPP40.

It’s an incredible extension of our Green Monday sale that you should take advantage of as soon as you can. You’ll get not just one, or three, or four, but 12 incredible award-winning Mac apps for less than $45.

Apple Music teamed up with the iconic British artist David Hockney to create a portrait of Beethoven for the artist’s 250th birthday.

Hockney, whose painting “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)” is the most expensive work of art by a living artist to ever sell at auction, created the Beethoven image using his trusty iPad.