Becoming You is sensational, no matter your age Photo: Apple TV+
New Apple TV+ documentary series Becoming You is the kind of admirably human show that seems designed to rack up grateful viewers.
Tackling the earliest development of the human brain in more than a hundred children the world over, the docuseries makes a calculated plea for empathy and togetherness — and a convincing one at that.
Early reviews say the HomePod mini punches above its weight. Photo: Apple
The first HomePod mini reviews almost universally praise the tiny smart speaker for outstanding audio quality. A wave of superlatives like “impressively powerful,” and even “startling” make HomePod mini sound like a total champ.
Across the board, the reviewers say Apple’s new $99 smart speaker offers stiff competition to other devices in that price range. And beyond audio, they deliver surprisingly positive assessments of the HomePod mini’s design and features. Even Siri earns accolades!
Do you know how Apple Watch counts your swim strokes? Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac
Apple Watch is a great swimming companion, offering highly accurate length counts, pace measurements and stroke recognition. But the benefits to swimmers don’t stop there.
You’ll find plenty more useful swim stats in the Fitness app on your iPhone. Strokes Per 25/50/100 is especially valuable because it tracks your swim efficiency, which is key if you want to go faster, further or just look more cool in the pool.
But the way Apple Watch counts your strokes is not as simple as it seems. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert swimmer, it’s worth taking time out to understand exactly how it works.
Download it today from the PlayStation Store. Photo: Apple
Apple TV is now available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The new app gives users the ability to watch Apple TV+, third-party channels like Showtime and Starz, and content purchased from iTunes.
Its launch coincides with the PlayStation 5’s big debut in many key markets, including the United States.
With just a bow and an eagle, take on an epic quest in The Pathless on Apple Arcade. Photo: Giant Squid/Annapurna Interactive
An archer and her eagle are the centers of The Pathless, an open-world adventure that debuted Thursday for iPad, Mac, iPhone and other platforms. Players take on the role of the Hunter, who travels a mystical island with her feathered companion and dispel a curse of darkness. There are monsters to slay and puzzles to solve.
Apple Arcade subscribers can play this new title at a considerable savings over other platforms.
From face-tracking tripods to studio lighting, these video accessories will help you shine. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Whether for Zoom calls or showing off how your guitar lessons are paying off, you’re likely spending more time pointing cameras at yourself. But you and your viewers deserve better than fluorescent lights and a shaky laptop camera. We rounded up four deals on tripods that will help you capture higher-quality video and photos from anywhere.
Early benchmark results for the new M1 MacBook Air have begun surfacing online, and boy are they impressive. Not only does Apple’s newest ultraportable blow away its predecessors, but its M1 chip outperforms every other mobile CPU on the market.
That’s even more astounding when you remember the new MacBook Air has a completely fan-less design that stays silent no matter how hard you push it.
Oprah Winfrey will sit down with President Barack Obama for her Apple TV+ interview show. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Former President Barack Obama will appear next Tuesday on an episode of The Oprah Conversation. The topic will be his new book, A Promised Land, which hits shelves that day.
While the interview by Oprah Winfrey will appear on Apple’s subscription streaming service, it will also be available free for two weeks.
Get the 2020 MacBook Air with Intel processor while you can. Photo: Apple
The Intel-based MacBook Air is quickly disappearing. Apple introduced the the first version of this svelte laptop with an M1 processor on Tuesday, and pulled the previous version off the Apple online store.
It isn’t unusual for a new Mac to replace on older one. But the MacBook Air just made a quantum leap to a new type of processor, and some people are likely still interested in one with an Intel processor. The supply is dwindling, though.
The M1-powered MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac mini can all run iPhone applications. Photo: Apple
The Mac App Store is about to balloon in size. The Apple M1 processor allows the latest Macs to run iOS and iPadOS software as easily as macOS apps. So the entire contents of the iPhone App Store will soon be listed in the Mac software store.
Winter is coming. And based on what we know about 2020 so far, it’s likely to be a nasty one. Get set for the wet and miserable months by bagging a rugged, waterproof Nyloon band for Apple Watch.
Their NATO-style design makes them super-strong and ready for anything, and they’re available in a range of colorful styles. They’re also nicely priced from just $24.99.
An M1 MacBook Pro with 14-inch screen would give professionals more options. Photo: Apple
The second wave of MacBooks with the just-announced Apple M1 processor will have an “all-new form factor,” according to a trusted analyst. And there’ll supposedly be a new size option.
That’s likely to please anyone who was disappointed that the first M1-based MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are nearly indistinguishable from their predecessors.
Roku has begun rolling out AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support for smart TVs and streaming devices.
The update, Roku OS 9.4, gives users the ability to control their Roku using the Home app on iPhone and iPad, and to send content from Mac and iOS devices to their TV via the Roku platform.
The heartwarming Doug Unplugs looks like a sure-fire hit for kids. Image: Apple TV+
Powered by the formidable DreamWorks Animation, Apple TV+’s newest children’s show is frequently disarming and deeply cute. Doug Unplugs, which arrives on the streaming service this Friday, is likely to be perfect for young kids, and not too much for tired parents who’ll watch it over their shoulders.
Fortnite is still blocked from the App Store for now. Photo: Epic Games
Apple’s two theft claims against Epic Games were on Tuesday dismissed by a federal judge in California.
Epic filed the counterclaims filed in September, just weeks after the game-maker sued Apple for alleged anti-competitive actions. Cupertino removed Fortnite, the hugely popular battle royale game, from the App Store after Epic gave players on iOS devices the ability to purchase in-game currency outside of Apple’s ecosystem.
It'll cost you just $20 less than buying a brand-new model. Photo: Apple
If you’re planning to buy a HomePod mini and there’s any chance you might break it, you might want to pick up AppleCare+ coverage, too. Getting your speaker repaired without warranty coverage is almost as expensive as buying a brand-new HomePod mini.
iPhone SE fans hoping for an annual refresh could face disappointment in early 2021. One reliable analyst today reports that Apple has no plans to refresh its budget device during the first half of next year.
Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities indicates that plans for an upgraded iPhone SE have been pushed back while Apple suppliers battle it out to secure orders for next fall’s iPhone 13 instead.
Apple M1 processor outperforms PC chips, even while using less power. Chart: Apple
Apple improved its processors’ performance by a massive 3x in the past five years, according to analysis carried out by AnandTech. Meanwhile, Intel’s best single-thread performance only improved 28% during that same time frame.
The stats help cement why the risky jump from Intel to Apple Silicon in Macs makes a whole lot of sense.
Apple’s “One More Thing” event showed us far more than one thing about its plans. Composite: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple took a huge step in switching Macs from Intel processors to Apple Silicon on Tuesday. The M1 processor will bring big performance boosts to a trio of new Macs.
Here’s a rundown of not only what Apple CEO Tim Cook and Co. said during the “One More Thing” event, but what the announcements mean for the future of the Mac — and the company.
Apple's new M1 chip offers massive battery life improvements. Photo: Apple
Apple Silicon was widely expected to be fast, but perhaps the biggest surprise of the new M1 chip is the insane battery life it enables.
During Tuesday’s “One More Thing” keynote, Apple touted some truly eye-popping battery life numbers. While we expected improved battery life from the new MacBooks, the numbers Apple released surpassed expectations.
John Ternus, Apple VP of Hardware Engineering, unveiled the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1. Screenshot: Apple
The Apple M1 processor dramatically increases the capabilities of the just-launched 13-inch MacBook Pro. Apple says the CPU runs up 2.8 times faster. And the laptop’s battery life stretches to 20 hours.
Totallee's new cases for iPhone 12 are thin, light and branding-free. Photo: Totallee
This iPhone case post is presented by Totallee.
When a new iPhone series comes out, a slew of accessories is sure to follow. So it is with Totallee, which just released its line of thin cases for iPhone 12 for people who like streamlined protection without the bulk. These are the cases for those who’d rather not have one, but don’t want to go caseless because not protecting your expensive new device would be reckless.
Thanks to Rosetta 2 in macOS Big Sur, an M1 Mac can run Autodesk Fusion 360 in emulation. Photo: Cult of Mac
The newly announced Macs running Apple’s M1 processor can run some Intel applications faster than Intel-based Macs can, Apple says. This is the result of technology in macOS Big Sur called Rosetta 2.
That’s good news for anyone considering an upcoming MacBook Air, MacBook Pro or a Mac mini with Apple Silicon who are concerned about the performance of current software.
With the M1 chip inside, the new Mac mini delivers blazing-fast performance. Photo: Apple
Apple just unveiled a new M1 Mac that no one was expecting (but should have) — the Mac mini.
Featuring the Apple M1 chip, the new Mac mini boasts 3x faster CPU performance and up to 6x faster graphics, compared to the previous generation mini, Apple said during Tuesday’s “One More Thing” keynote.