A quicker, easier way to get things done. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
One of many hidden new features in iOS 14 is an option to set new shortcuts that are activated by tapping the back of your iPhone. It’s a new accessibility option that can be used for things like returning to the Home screen, snapping a screenshot, muting your device, and more. Here’s how it works.
Apple is a big believer in privacy. Photo: Google/Cult of Mac
Republican senatators have proposed a new bill that would end the use of unbreakable encryption by tech companies on the basis that it helps “terrorists and other bad actors to conceal illicit behavior.”
The so-called Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act is proposed by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee).
All the wooden products and plants make for a very calm setup. Photo: @hussaintausif
When accountant and realtor Tausif Hussain built his setup he was looking for wellness and nature themes.
He uses a Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk, which is both eco-friendly and joint-friendly. He also has a Muvmat, an anti-fatigue mat that is also a foot massager. The Muvmat simulates standing in a forest; it is filled with bumps that imitate rocks, branches, and twigs. And pretty much every device rests on top of some wooden accessory or stand.
Take control of your favorite Instagram content with 4K Stogram. Screenshot: OpenMedia
This Instagram management post is presented by OpenMedia, maker of 4K Stogram.
The download world is filled with third-party tools intended to enhance your experience with other tools, apps and services — and sometimes they really do help. One such case is 4K Stogram, an Instagram viewer and download app for macOS, PC and Linux.
On today’s special edition of The CultCast: Catch our reactions to all the great stuff announced at the WWDC 2020 keynote. We highlight our favorite features from iOS 14, MacOS Big Sur, tvOS, iPadOS and watchOS, and so much more.
Today’s episode is supported by CleanMyMac X, an all-in-one utility from MacPaw that takes care of your Mac’s health. It’s a macOS cleaner, a performance monitor, a malware remover and occasionally, a lifesaver. And until July 5, you can go to macpaw.com/cultofmac to get CleanMyMac X with a 30% discount.
Tile and other location-aware Bluetooth item trackers could soon be accessible through Apple’s Find My app. Photo: Apple
Third-party item trackers will be able to connect to the Find My Network created by iPhone, Mac and other Apple devices, the company announced Monday during its annual developers conference.
This will be a huge benefit to Tile, who recently complained to the EU Commission that Apple is making it harder for customers to use Tile’s location-aware tracking tags even as Apple prepares to launch its own.
It was certainly a different experience, Craig. I'll give you that. Photo: Apple
Apple turned chicken sh*t into chicken salad with Monday’s WWDC 2020 keynote, and now I don’t want Cupertino to ever go back to doing live keynotes. Crude? Perhaps. Truthful? You bet.
Before the streaming event started, some of my Cult of Mac colleagues discussed how Apple would deal with its first virtual keynote. Some of us thought Apple would simply deliver the same Steve Jobs Theater experience, but with no audience present. (Heck, if Apple wanted to, it could have gone the route of U.K. televised football and added crowd noise.) Others thought Apple would, well, think different.
Apple chose this second option and, in the process, freshened up a formula that has remained the same for years. Here’s why it would be a step backward for Cupertino to consider going back to live keynotes.
Multiple widgets that don't take over your Home screen. GIF: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Apple is finally giving us the ability to add widgets to iPhone’s Home screen with iOS 14 this fall. In the interests of cleanliness, it is even allowing those widgets to be stacked so that they don’t cause too much clutter.
iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 will listen out for the important sounds taking place in the background. Photo: Tim Bish/Unsplash CC
iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 has an impressive accessibility feature that can listen out for sounds like running water, a person knocking on the door, smoke alarms, babies crying, and more — and then warn users about it with an on-screen notification.
It’s an incredibly smart feature, based on machine learning technology, that could range from useful to life-saving. Who says that always-listening tech has to be limited to “Hey, Siri”?
Sharper than ever. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
YouTube videos available in super-sharp 4K can finally be enjoyed on Apple devices this fall. Not only will 4K content be available on Apple TV, but also on iPhone and iPad, according to the first iOS 14 beta.
This all-in-one charging stand sports 5 USB 3.0 ports, AirPod charger, and detachable Apple Watch charger. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Whether working from home or sharing space at the office (remember those?), keeping everybody charged usually means dealing with clutter. This sleek charging stand can handle five iOS devices at once, and more.
Just one of the smaller improvements Apple didn't mention. Photo: Apple
Apple’s brilliant battery-saving feature for iPhone, which recently made its way to Mac, is also coming to AirPods and AirPods Pro in iOS 14. It should help your beloved buds last a little longer in between replacements.
AAPL shares have risen to a new all-time high in the aftermath of Monday’s WWDC keynote event. In early trading Tuesday, they hit $358.87 — up from the $351.50 they started the week at, and way up from the $224.37 low point they hit in mid-March.
Guess we should have all invested when we had the chance!
The App Store has been mired in controversy lately. Photo: Apple
Apple will allow developers to challenge its app review process, and also end its current practice of blocking bug fixes due to minor violations of its rules, Reuters reported Monday.
Apple has not yet revealed the details of the mechanism devs can use to appeal rulings, and an Apple spokesperson declined to comment. However, the feature is supposedly on the way.
Is there no end to Craig Federighi's talents? Photo: Apple
One of the low-key highlights following any Apple keynote is seeing how Jonathan Mann, the musical YouTuber who once made Steve Jobs dance, will turn it into a song. This year, Mann’s winning creation is called “I Just Go Into Jiggle Mode,” using a line uttered by Apple software chief Craig Federighi during Monday’s virtual WWDC keynote.
Along with audio clips from the event, Mann also sings tweets written by various online commentators. The results are weird, hilarious — and more than a little catchy. Check out the WWDC 2020 song below.
The redesigned iMac wasn’t unveiled at WWDC 2020 as had been rumored. Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Although Monday’s keynote address for Apple’s annual developers conference was chock-full of announcements, some much-rumored products didn’t see the light of day.
Despite the rumor mill working overtime in the run-up to WWDC 2020, there was no hardware presented at all.
Foundation on Apple TV+ will be a mix of Star Wars and Game of Thrones. Photo: Apple/Skydance Television
Apple is turning Isaac Asimov’s sci-fi classic Foundation into a series. And today it released a “teaser” trailer full of stunning visuals to give the world its first glimpse of this epic.
You can't chain down this MacBook setup. Photo: Ben Boxer
Ben Boxer is a busy student always on the go, so naturally he has a MacBook setup. “One thing that is really important with any setup is speed and portability,” he said, “that is why everything here is driven off of a laptop.”
All of his gear is connected to a CalDigit TS3 Thunderbolt 3 Dock and it only takes one cord to plug it into his MacBook. He says he has 25 TB of storage connected to it.
Home screen widgets in iPadOS 14 can only be placed along the left edge. Photo: Apple
Apple gave the world its first look at iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 at WWDC 2020 on Monday. And while these are still closely linked, one of the signature features added to the iPhone version, the App Library, isn’t making the jump to the iPad version.
And placement of Home screen widgets is very limited for tablet users.
CEO Tim Cook and other Apple executives handled the tough job of a WWDC 2020 keynote without an in-person audience. Screenshot: Apple
Apple rose to the challenge of holding a keynote for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in an empty auditorium Monday. A range of executives took the wraps off operating system upgrades for Mac, iPhone, iPad … the whole swath of Cupertino’s devices.
The presentation went surprisingly well, considering that the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the presence of the usual odd mix of highly enthusiastic Apple employees and professionally skeptical journalists.
iOS 14 will give iPhone and iPad users the ability to search for emoji to make texting easier. The feature is already available inside macOS — and has been for a while — but it finally makes the leap to mobile this fall.
Or save $100 on Apple Watch Series 5. Photo: Apple
You might need to upgrade your Apple Watch to enjoy this year’s big watchOS 7 upgrade, which drops support for Series 1 and Series 2 devices. The good news is you can get an Apple Watch 3 for even less right now.
Developers already got their hands on pre-release versions of all the software updates from WWDC 2020. Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple unveiled major updates for all its operating systems at WWDC 2020 on Monday, and already released the first betas of them all. That includes iOS 14, macOS Big Sur 11, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7 and tvOS 7.
The general public won‘t get their first taste of these new updates until July, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2 owners will miss out on Apple’s big watchOS 7 upgrade this fall. The new release, which brings sleep tracking and watch face sharing, is compatible with Series 3 devices or later.