The United States is considering banning TikTok and other Chinese social media apps, according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Speaking with Fox News, Pompeo said “we are certainly looking” at such a ban. When asked if people should download the app, Pompeo said, “Only if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.”
Apple retained its second place spot for the fifth year running on the world’s most valuable brands list compiled by branding valuation company BrandZ.
The firm values Apple’s brand at $352.2 billion. Unlike a market cap, which values the business as a whole, this brand valuation is designed to assess the value of the branding itself.
Apple is “assessing” a new Hong Kong security law that could make protest a crime, claims Bloomberg.
The newly passed National Security Law criminalizes acts of secession (breaking away from China), undermining power and authority of the government, the use of violence or intimidation, and collusion with foreign or external forces.
China says that it was return stability to Hong Kong, although critics of the new law worry that it will negatively affect freedom of speech and protest.
Tim Cook’s testimony in front of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee antitrust investigation committee will take place on July 27 at midday EST. The hearing, which will be live-streamed, will be accompanied by similar testimonies from Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Sundar Pichai of Google, and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook.
The title of the investigatory hearings is “Online Platforms and Market Power” with a focus on “Examining the Dominance of Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Apple.”
Belkin began taking pre-orders on Monday for a much smaller version of the Wemo WiFi Smart Plug. Like the original, it supports Apple’s HomeKit home automation system. But in a design that doesn’t crowd the wall socket.
Apple TV+ and The Maurice Sendak Foundation have teamed up to develop new shows based on the many works of Maurice Sendak, a world-renown author and illustrator of children’s books. Whether this means a series based on Where the Wild Things Are is in the works is anyone’s guess, though.
iPhones can automatically blur the backgrounds of still images but not video. Enter Focos Live, a recently released application that brings to iPhone video the effect Apple calls Portrait mode (and everyone else calls “bokeh”). The effect gives photographers the ability to unfocus the background to draw attention to what’s going on in the foreground.
There’s a reason this review only has one image in it: Apple TV+ doesn’t have any more press pictures for this show. Why? Because why should it? This paper-thin passel of hagiographies isn’t worth promoting.
Greatness Code, which debuts July 10, isn’t a show so much as it’s an investment in the big star athletes being interviewed. To say no to the project would have meant scuttling potential relationships with some of the biggest names in sports. But to admit it’s worth your time seems a bridge too far.
Google finally lets Gmail users read their email while also displaying another app. Apple introduced Split View multitasking way back in 2015, but it’s just now coming to this popular email application.
Tom Hanks is here to rescue a cargo convoy from the Nazis — and presumably you from your free time. His new movie, Greyhound, is being released straight to Apple TV+ this Friday after COVID-19 scuttled the film’s theatrical release. This means there’s nothing between you and some old-school, flag-waving thrills.
In fact, Greyhound is the very definition of old school. There’s no fuss, no muss: just a man, his crew and some German U-boats hiding out in the gray fog of World War II, ready to pounce on American soldiers.
Sanho’s HyperJuice wall charger that debuted Monday isn’t much bigger than a credit card but still has room for a pair of USB-C ports that can put out 100W, dual USB-A ports that max out at 18W, and swappable power prongs.
It uses Gallium Nitride (GaN), a new semiconductor material that’s more efficient than traditional silicon used in current chargers. It lets Sanho create this ultra-portable wall charger.
The latest lightweight Apple TV+ crowdpleaser comes from producer J.J. Abrams, songwriter Sara Bareilles and writer Jessie Nelson. Little Voice, which debuts on Apple’s streaming service on July 10, hits every single beat you expect — and none you don’t.
There’s little chance you won’t experience precisely the emotional journey and reaction you’re anticipating just from looking at the show’s promotional materials.
If you wanna watch a scrappy, model-beautiful singer finally find her voice with help from a supportive and kooky family of zany outsiders, and then live her dream of being a star, then yeah, come on in.
Pokémon Go turns 4 today and, while it might not be the shiny new toy of the App Store anymore, it’s not showing signs of slowing down, either.
The AR Poké-spotting game just passed $3.6 billion in global player spending, according to leading app analytics platform Sensor Tower. Of that, almost $1.7 billion — or 46.4% of the total revenue — came from the App Store.
Mobile devices depend on Lightning and USB cables to stay charged and synced, so it’s a bummer that those cables are so prone to fraying and breaking. Even in perfect shape, standard Apple cables tend to last just a few months. Not so with these Iron Man-worthy cables from Evercable.
Reddit is fixing its iOS app after an iOS 14 beta tester discovered that the app was copying the contents from users’ clipboards.
The clipboard copying appears to have been an accident. In a statement to The Verge, a Reddit spokesperson blamed the problem on a dodgy line of code:
Tom Hanks made a few not-so-flattering comments about the “Apple overlords” in an interview about his new World War II movie Greyhound. The film, which was originally supposed to launch in theaters, was pulled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, it will premiere on Apple TV+ this Friday.
In an interview with The Guardian, Hanks describes the shift to Apple TV+ as “an absolute heartbreak.” He also spills the beans on one of Apple’s slightly unusual requests for his press interviews.
Apple’s “Made in LDN” Today at Apple program will kick off later this month, after Today at Apple sessions were canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Because of the continuing effects of coronavirus, the sessions will take place online, rather than in Apple Stores.
The Made in LDN sessions are aimed at teaching skills to young musical artists, aged 16-25, in London. They will run from July 27 through August 28. Registration kicks off today.
What better way to celebrate this Fourth of July weekend than by giving yourself the gift of Apple upgrades? We rounded up some real firecracker deals on chargers, UV sterilization devices, noise-canceling headphones and more.
David William Hearn, co-creator of revolutionary iPad music notation app StaffPad, reveals the decade-long quest that earned the app an Apple Design Award.
You’ll find that story, plus the usual roundup of iPhone and Mac news and rumors, in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. It’s packed with Apple how-tos and reviews, too. Download it to read the slick iOS mag on your iPad, or hit the links below to get the stories in your browser.
P.S. Don’t miss our Fourth of July sale in the Cult of Mac Store.
Ring in the Fourth of July by giving your laptop a new lease on life. Any one of these four great deals on MacBook accessories will give you a new feeling of … independence.
Cue the fireworks!
It took web designer Carlos Azaustre a span of three years to piece together his setup. Everything was carefully chosen.
To start off, the Madrid-based front-end engineer has the Samsung 34-inch UltraWide Monitor. He previously had a 24-inch FullHD Monitor but after a few years of wear-and-tear he decided it was time to make a change. So he splurged and went with the Samsung UltraWide. He runs his rig off of a 13-inch 2013 MacBook Pro which sits upon an AmazonBasics Laptop Desk Stand.
Adding weight to recent reports that the iPhone 12 will ship without a charger in the box, Apple supposedly sent a survey to someone who recently traded in a handset to ask if he’s still using the wall charger. The responses from him and others could help the company decide whether it should leave out this accessory.
Ready to start delegating some of your responsibilities to someone else? It’s easier than ever with Reminders in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, which gives you the ability to assign tasks to other people.
Find out how in this pro tip.
If you caved and installed the iOS 14 or iPadOS 14 betas on your iPhone and iPad, and now you’re running into problems, you’ll be pleased to know you can downgrade to iOS 13.
It’s a relatively simple process that shouldn’t take you long, and as long as you’ve backed up, you won’t lose too much data data. We’ll walk you through the process in this step-by-step guide.
Now is the time to treat yourself to AirPods Pro! Amazon is offering renewed models that look and work as good as new for just $202 — the lowest price we’ve seen so far on Apple’s best wireless buds.
Bag yours before they’re all gone.