Mobile menu toggle

CarKey feature will let you unlock and start your car using iPhone

By

CarKey
You can share keys with Messages, too.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2020

Apple’s car-focused tech got a nifty update at WWDC, letting users start their cars with their iPhone. Announced Monday, Apple’s new CarKey digital car keys feature will allow you to unlock and start select vehicles using NFC technology.

Emily Schubert, Apple’s Engineering Manager for Car Experience showed off the feature, which promises to revolutionize the way you start your vehicle for the 21st century.

AirPods 3 upgrade with AirPods Pro design expected in early 2021

By

AirPods Pro settings
Could AirPods 3 look just like AirPods Pro?
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple will introduce its third-generation AirPods buds featuring the same design as AirPods Pro during the first half of 2021, according to one reliable analyst.

The new wireless headphones could help drive a 28% increase in AirPods shipments next year. Apple’s rumored decision not to include free EarPods with iPhone 12 this fall could also contribute to the boost.

macOS Big Sur, no iOS name change, zero new hardware and other last-minute WWDC rumors

By

Big Sur
How does macOS Big Sur sound to you?
Photo: Diliff/Wikipedia CC

WWDC 2020 iOS 14 won’t be called iPhone OS and the new macOS will be called “Big Sur,” according to Apple tipster L0vetodream.

In a series of tweets early Monday, the Apple leaker shared a number of “predictions” that may spill details of the virtual-only Worldwide Developers Conference keynote Apple will Monday.

How to watch the WWDC 2020 keynote again [Updated]

By

Tim Cook at WWDC on iPad
Are you ready?
Photo: Henry Ascroft/Apple

WWDC 2020 The upside to an online-only WWDC 2020 is that Apple is making its big keynote more accessible than ever this year. No matter where you are or what device you’re using, you should be able to tune in live.

The event kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific today. Here are your options for watching the stream. (Update: If you missed the WWDC keynote, or simply want to watch it again, you can see it in the YouTube embed below.)

Apple could eliminate thousands of unlicensed games from China App Store next month

By

Apple Store
Thousands of apps could get the boot in China next month.
Photo: Apple

Apple is set to begin a deep clean of the App Store in China, removing “thousands” of games that don’t have the proper government approvals, a report by Bloomberg claims.

Developers and publishers have reportedly been told that they will need to secure licenses to continue selling their games starting next month. While regulators have been promising such a crackdown since 2016, they have been slow to push through rules. As a result, unlicensed games were still being published in the interim.

Tim Cook talks WWDC secrets, taxes, and how the iPhone could help people change the world

By

Tim Cook talks to John Dickerson
Tim Cook's interview aired the day before WWDC.
Photo: CBS

Tim Cook talked taxes, WWDC secrets, and how the iPhone can play a small, but important role in changing the world for the better in an interview aired over the weekend on CBS Sunday Morning.

“I’m full of secrets and it’s hard not to overflow right now,” Cook said. “But I’ve been trained well.” On other topics, however, he was a lot more open.

Antitrust issues? Microsoft president says App Store business model must be investigated

By

Microsoft Windows
Microsoft went through its own antitrust case in the early 2000s.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft’s president Brad Smith has seemingly joined the number of voices criticizing Apple for taking a 30% cut of app revenue.

The Microsoft executive said that the policy is far more anti-competitive than the complaints that led to the Microsoft antitrust case of the early 2000s. The antitrust case against Microsoft helped reshape the tech landscape 20 years ago.

ARM-based Macs could be 50% or even 100% faster than Intel ones

By

Apple_macbookpro-13-inch_screen_05042020
The replacement for the 13-inch MacBook supposedly will be one of the first ARM-based Macs.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2020 The first Macs running ARM-based processors designed by Apple could be out as early as the fourth quarter of 2020, according to trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. This will supposedly bring significant performance gains.

We’ll possibly know for sure tomorrow, as Apple will supposedly reveal its plans to move macOS to its A-series processors at WWDC 2020.

There might be no new hardware at WWDC 2020

By

2020 WWDC looks epic anyway
Apple might not use WWDC 2020 to unveil the new iMac, AirTags, etc.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2020 Rumors point to Apple using Monday’s keynote for its annual developers conference to unveil a new iMac, a new HomePod and the debut of AirTags. But on Sunday, a reliable leaker said that these WWDC 2020 plans have been “scrapped.”

That said, the company supposedly still plans to unveil a long-term plan to switch Macs from Intel processors to ones Apple designs itself.

Update June 22: Confirmed. The keynote for this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference was all about software, and there was no new hardware.

Aukey’s handsome 4-in-1 USB-C hub also does wireless charging [Review]

By

Aukey CB-C70 review
The Aukey CB-C70 looks great, and it does multiple jobs — It’s both a wireless charger and a multiport USB-C adapter.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The trouble with wireless phone chargers is that they take up valuable room on your desk even when they’re not being used. But the Aukey CB-C70 is also a multiport USB-C hub, so it packs plenty of functionality into a small package.

I thoroughly tested this accessory in my home office. Here’s how it stood up to daily use.

Last chance! Save 20% on bright and beautiful Apple Watch bands for Father’s Day

By

Nyloon-Apple-Watch-3
Give dad the perfect gift this weekend.
Photo: Nyloon

The Cult of Mac Store’s brilliant Father’s Day sale is almost over, but there’s still time to enjoy 20% off all accessories from Monowear and Nyloon. There’s a huge collection of brilliant Apple Watch bands to choose from, with prices starting at just $24.99. Order yours before the discounts disappear!

Our WWDC 2020 predictions [Cult of Mac Magazine 354]

By

WWDC 2020 keynote predictions: Get ready to rumble.
Here's what to expect from next week's WWDC keynote.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2020 Are you as psyched for WWDC 2020 as we are? The cover story of this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine tells you what to expect from next week’s big keynote. (Spoiler alert: Sounds like some new hardware in addition to the mandatory look at upcoming software.)

Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll find the latest Apple news and leaks, plus how-tos for your Apple devices. Finally, don’t miss our reviews and recommendations — including a look at new documentary Dads, the latest disappointment from Apple TV+.

Grab your copy of the free iOS mag today (or hit the links below for the stories.)

Score lifetime tools for language, reading, focus and health [Deals]

By

Superhuman Bundle
Make the most of working from home by learning new skills, exercising, and more.
Photo: Manny Pantoja/Unsplash CC

Whether you’re getting outside for the summer or staying inside, it’s a great time to sharpen your mind and your body. This bundle of five lifetime app subscriptions covers language lessons, focus, working out, reading faster and more. Additionally, you can get all five at a massive 97% discount.

CdkeySales lets Cult of Mac readers save 18% on Windows and Office product keys, Win 10 Pro for $14

By

CdkeySales 2
Cult of Mac readers can get 18% off an array of software product keys at CdkeySales.com
Photo: CdkeySales

This Windows and Office upgrades post is presented by CdkeySales.

CdkeySales.com is now offering Cult of Mac readers a genuine Windows 10 Pro OEM key for just $14. What’s more, you can get a Windows 10 Home key for just $12. Those prices deeply undercut what you’d have to pay Microsoft for a key. In addition, there are deals on a slew of other Windows OS and Office products, as well as combination bundles, at 18% off. See the list of product links and prices below.

Adoption of iOS 13 by iPhone users is nearly total

By

iOS 13
iOS 13 adoption is almost universal.
Screen capture: Apple

Even as Apple is expected to unveil iOS 14 on Monday, the company revealed that 92% of all iPhones introduced in the last four years run iOS 13. That’s a higher adoption percentage than for iOS 12 this time last year.

And it’s vastly ahead of the percentage of Android users who’ve been able to upgrade to the latest version of Google’s operating system.

In this setup, everything pro, everything smart [Setups]

By

iMac Pro Setup
Danny Winget was on a mission to reach peak minimalism.
Photo: @superscientific

When tech YouTuber Danny Winget mapped out his dream setup, he was looking to achieve one thing: stark minimalism. He certainly found it. On his desk he has a screen, a keyboard and mouse, and not much else. What makes his desk notable though, is that everything is Pro and everything is smart — even his coffee cup.

Awesome Snapchat filter shows how we’ll navigate the metro in the age of AR

By

SmarTrip 1
Imagine being able to call up a metro map out of thin air.
Photo: Gerald Nash

Imagine riding the subway when you realize you’re not quite sure of the changes you need to make on your journey. No problem! Simply whip out your smartphone, aim it at your travel pass, and watch a virtual map pop up in front of you.

Science fiction? Nope. It’s a proof-of-concept AR demo created by computer science student Gerald Nash. It gives a taste of the future, courtesy of a Snapchat filter, that will turn your Washington DC SmarTrip card into a trigger for a floating AR map of the area. Check out the video below.

Who on earth is Dads for? [Apple TV+ review]

By

Dads review: Glen Henry and his daughter, one of many subjects in the enthusiastically weightless Apple TV+ documentary Dads.
Glen Henry and his daughter, one of many subjects in the enthusiastically weightless Dads.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ secured another handsomely produced, blandly pleasant, absolute mediocrity when it purchased Bryce Dallas Howard’s feature documentary debut, Dads. What’s Dads about, you ask? Why dads, of course. Next question.

Up until now, Apple TV+ hasn’t been the most cautious content provider. Apple execs lavished money on a lot of utter nonsense with enormous price tags because they seemed to aesthetically fit in with the rest of the company’s design scheme. HomeCentral Park, See — none of them are good television, but they’d look good testing TVs on a showroom floor, which seems to be the prevailing ethos for a lot of the Apple TV+ purchases.

Dads, released Friday just in time to remind you to forget Father’s Day, is much the same and quite a bit less.

Redesigned iMacs to iOS 14: Everything we expect to see at WWDC 2020

By

WWDC 2020: What to expect at Apple's big developer conference.
Get ready for some big revelations!
Image: Apple & Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2020 Apple execs won’t get to feed off the usual live audience’s energy during next Monday’s WWDC 2020 keynote, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to get excited about.

As usual, Apple will stream the big event for all the world to see. But, due to health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire Worldwide Developers Conference will take place online this year. Read on for our rundown of what we expect to see during the WWDC 2020 keynote, which kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific on June 22.