A record 1.4 billion voice and video calls were made using WhatsApp on New Year’s Eve 2020, Facebook reveals in a new blog post.
Facebook says that is an increase of more than 50% compared to the same day last year.
We’re experiencing yet another bump in the road as coronavirus cases spike nationwide. With stores and public outings closed for the foreseeable future, we’ll need to find new ways to stay entertained during lockdown, especially now that our usual routines are months old at this point.
Foxconn, Apple’s largest supplier, looks to be getting in on the electric vehicle business. According to a Monday report from Bloomberg, the Taiwanese manufacturer is in talks to invest in Chinese EV startup Byton.
Foxconn reportedly plans to invest around $200 million in the company to begin mass-manufacturing the anticipated Byton M-Byte car by Q1 2022. An announcement could come as early as today.
A Mac app that raised Apple’s ire with its drug-referencing name won’t be pulled from the Mac App Store, its developer says.
Apple reportedly threatened to remove utility app Amphetamine, which stops your Mac from going to sleep. The reason? Violating rule 1.4.3 of the App Store guidelines, which prohibits apps relating to “consumption of tobacco and vape products, illegal drugs, or excessive amounts of alcohol.”
It’s about that time where everyone is making New Year’s resolutions — whether getting fit or mastering investing with a powerful new tool.
If you’re looking to learn a new language in 2021, there’s probably no more fun, intuitive way than with a lifetime subscription to the Lirica Premium Language Learning App.
2020 was rough. However, the pandemic gave Apple a chance to show its true colors. From fantastic new products to altruistic accomplishments, the company found many ways to excel.
Read Leander Kahney’s recap for an informed look at Apple’s incredible year. Then read Ed Hardy’s predictions about what to expect from Apple in 2021. And, if you’re ready to achieve your fitness goals, read Graham Bower’s piece on how to make your New Year’s resolutions stick with Apple Fitness+.
It’s all in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it now to read on your iOS device, or get the links below.
Laptop stands make it easier to type as well as see what’s on your MacBook display. USB-C hubs make adding peripherals to your laptop a snap. The Ugreen X-Kit is both a display and a hub. Plus, it’s designed to be used on the go.
I tried out this combination stand/hub to see how well it works with Apple gear. Read on to see what I found out.
Whether you’re an experienced trader who’s been dabbling with the stock market for years, or just beginning to seek out ways of earning passive income, the people who get the most out of their investments are ones that strategically manage their hard-earned funds. And, while the stock market can sometimes be volatile, the best way of keeping track of your funds and shifting your investments around is being able to track how your stocks are performing in real time.
If you want to do that without needing to work with a broker (and pay brokerage fees), check out this lifetime subscription to the Currency HeatwaveX Financial Tool.
As we all know, 2020 was an exceptionally rough year, but January is a great time to take stock, reflect on what you learned, and start making decisions and taking actions that will make 2021 far better. One way to get started in that regard is this 2021 Complete Six Sigma Training Suite Bundle.
It includes 45 hours of content on Lean, Six Sigma and Minitab, and it can help you slash inefficiencies and boost profit in almost any business. Right now, the whole bundle is just $31.99 (98% off the normal $2,988 price tag).
New Year, new you? Maybe not. But how about a new look for your Apple Watch instead? The Cult of Mac Store today kicked off its big New Year sale, saving you up to 72% on bands, stands, and other brilliant accessories. Take advantage before the discounts disappear!
Apple broke new ground in 2020, and will build on that in many ways in 2021. It should be a really significant year for Mac. And iPad and Apple Watch are expected to get important new features as well.
Plus, this could be the year a product Apple has been quietly developing finally breaks out.
Apple Fitness+ makes it easier than ever to get in shape. So you should have no problem smashing your New Year’s resolution. Right?
Wrong. The sad fact is, despite the best of intentions, most New Year’s resolutions fail. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I know from personal experience as someone who went from a middle-aged slob to the proud owner of six-pack abs for the first time in my life. Now I’m a qualified personal trainer and I write about fitness for Cult of Mac.
So what’s the secret? Why do some resolutions succeed where others fail? Here are my top five tips for how you can use Apple Fitness+ to get in shape in 2021 and stay that way.
In spite of a devastating pandemic, a moribund economy, widespread unemployment, factory and store closures, and a workforce toiling from home, Apple in 2020 had one of its best years ever.
The company released a raft of new products, saw its stock soar, enjoyed a record valuation, made record amounts of money, experimented with virtual product launches and events, released great advertising, and mostly skated through government antitrust hearings.
The company even killed off a hated product feature, to widespread plaudits from fans.
Ready to start the new year with a new workout regime? This top-rated fitness app is the easiest way to reach your goals — and right now, a one-year subscription to BetterMe Home Workout & Diet is on sale for just $15.99 with coupon code HOLIDAY20.
That code also gives you 20% off the Cult of Mac store, site-wide, to ring in the new year. Yes, that’s even on top of sale prices.
What better way to round out the old year and kick-start the new one than by learning a new skill from home, in your own time? From Google Analytics to coding and app development, we selected some of the top-rated online courses of 2020 to level up your personal and professional skills.
Even better, all of these e-learning courses are on sale, with amazing discounts of up to 98% off right now.
Apple is reportedly testing two different folding iPhone designs. But only one of them has a flexible screen. If one of the prototypes successfully passes testing, it could become the first foldable iOS handset.
Apple can reportedly drag its feet when removing repeat labor violation offenders from its supply chain, a new report from The Information claims.
Cupertino supposedly postpones taking action when it has no other companies lined up to pick up the slack, or in other scenarios that would cause financial damage due to delays or higher costs.
The end of the holidays marks the end of an extremely difficult year. Luckily, the holiday deals haven’t come to an end just yet.
We rounded up 10 of the best deals on apps and software from 2020, some of which are over 90% off. And many come with lifetime subscriptions.
Brave, a privacy-oriented, Chromium-based web browser, has been updated to add native Apple Silicon support for first-gen M1 Macs.
Brave’s big claim to fame is that it blocks ads and website trackers by default. It also lets users compensate creators by sending them cryptocurrency contributions, called Basic Attention Tokens.
The App Store in China had its biggest single-day removal of apps ever — with a massive 39,000 games given the boot by Apple on Thursday alone. This is as a result of Chinese laws stating that all game publishers must obtain a special license in order to distribute their titles.
According to research firm Qimai, only 74 of the top 1,500 games in the App Store survived the massive app bloodbath. Major titles that vanished included the likes of Assassin’s Creed Identity and NBA 2K20.
For many people, Christmas was a bit more of a subdued affair in 2020 than in other years. But things were far from subdued in the App Store. According to new figures published by Sensor Tower, spending on mobile apps hit a big high point on Christmas Day in Europe.
The iOS App Store accounted for 60% of total app spending, adding up to almost $32.7 million on Christmas Day alone. That’s a massive 39% increase year-over-year. Android, by comparison, rose 17.4% year-over-year to hit $22 million on December 25.
A small German design studio dreamed up an improvement to AirPods Max. The Max Stand from Floating Pixels holds Apple’s new over-the-ears headphones upright, making them easy to pick up and use. And it adds wireless charging, rather than requiring users to plug in a cable.
Apple’s developers are surely already thinking about iPadOS 15, and will almost certainly unveil it in June 2021. Considering iPadOS 14 was thin on exciting new features, it’s easy to look ahead. Here are some suggestions from a heavy iPad user of what the devs should have on their to-do list.
The pandemic made many of us question our financial stability in 2020. Millions of people lost their jobs, and many more are just barely hanging on as we face a winter surge of COVID-19 infections. Thankfully, the vaccine is finally being distributed, and economic recovery may be just beyond the horizon.
The design of the wristwatch hasn’t changed in over 100 years, but EdgeGear has an alternative that makes it easier for runners to see their Apple Watch while on the go. The Shift is not like any band you’ve worn before, as the Watch is held near the base of your thumb, not in the middle of your wrist.
I took the EdgeGear Shift on a few runs, and can report on how it performed in the real world.