Easily expand your working space, or enjoy a movie on a larger display, with the Vissles-M. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
A portable monitor makes you more productive on the go. And the 15.6-inch Vissles-M is a thin and lightweight LCD screen that easily connects to a Mac or iPad Pro through its USB-C port.
I tested this affordable external display in a variety of conditions, and used it for both for work and fun. Here’s how it held up.
Here's why we love this longtime Apple exec. Cover: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
We’re all going to miss Phil Schiller now that he’s stepped down from his role as Apple’s marketing chief. He was a close friend of Steve Jobs, and he played a major role in Cupertino for decades.
To be clear, he’s not leaving Apple entirely. Instead, he became an Apple Fellow (and he’ll run the App Store and Apple Events). Still, it’s a big change for Cupertino. In tribute to an Apple OG, let’s take a trip down memory lane and relive Phil Schiller’s greatest hits.
That post is just one of the good reads you’ll find in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it now and get all the week’s top Apple news, reviews and how-tos in an easy-to-read package.
This massive bundle of lessons will teach you how to connect your brand or products with the widest possible audience. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Marketing moved online long ago, and every week that goes by, it becomes more fundamental to the ways we buy and sell. Facebook, YouTube, Google and Amazon have become the core of our modern economy. So if you’ve got a product, brand or anything else you want to connect with customers or audiences, you’ve got to learn the ins and outs of digital marketing.
Which makes a better investment, iMac or AAPL? Photo: @YSR50
This week on The CultCast: The brand-new iMac may look the same, but it’s so powerful that video editors are gleefully buying two or three at a time — we’ll tell you everything that’s new.
But look, forget buying the shiny new iMac, and put your money in Apple stock instead! I’m going all in on AAPL. Find out why I’m about to dump a huge cash stockpile into Apple stock, and the cash value of my current investments. We’re talking real numbers here, people.
Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.
Kids in 2020 will have to learn from home, and Apple is helping with discount iPads for California students. (Brydge keyboard sold separately.) Photo: Brydge
Apple and T-Mobile are collaborating to connect up to 1 million California students in need with iPads already equipped with high-speed internet connectivity.
Return to the world of Game of Thrones in a new game for Mac, iPhone and Apple TV. Photo: HBO
Travel to before the events of HBO’s hit series in Game of Thrones: Tale of Crows, a new game released Friday on Apple Arcade.
Explore the history of the Night’s Watch in this narrative-driven, real-time idle game that extends beyond the TV series. Become the shield that guards the realms of men, the sword in the darkness and the enduring sentry upon the Wall.
Ming-Chi Kuo says there's a problem with iPhone 12 camera lens. Concept: PhoneArena
Apple reportedly encountered a problem with some of the camera lenses it plans to use for the iPhone 12. Specifically, some of the coatings for the wide-angle lens cracked during a high-pressure, high-humidity stress test, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
While that might not sound great, there’s actually no reason to panic. And the supply-chain problem might even wind up saving Apple a few bucks.
It took long enough to go live! Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The Facebook Gaming app finally landed in the App Store on Friday, several months after it made it to Android devices. The delay isn’t the only downside, though. According to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, iOS users will get a considerably “inferior experience” due to Apple’s App Store policies.
The app allows users to livestream video games, much like the ultra-popular Twitch app. And the Android version includes mini-games users can play. But not the iOS version. “We had to remove gameplay functionality entirely in order to get Apple’s approval on the standalone Facebook Gaming app,” she said.
Despite the controversy surrounding it, 15-second video creation and sharing app TikTok remained the world’s most downloaded non-gaming app in July, according to a new report by Sensor Tower.
TikTok ranked as the No. 1 app on both iOS and the Google Play app stores, with more than 65.3 million installs in the month. This represents a 21.4% increase from July last year. In the first quarter of 2020, TikTok registered the best three months of any app ever when it comes to downloads.
Fortnite developer Epic Games is part owned by Tencent. Photo: Epic Games
President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking “transactions” involving Tencent’s WeChat will not hurt games owned, or partially owned, by the company.
That means it would not affect the likes of Riot Games’ League of Legends or Epic Games’ Fortnite, both of which have financial ties to Tencent. Instead, the executive order covers only WeChat transactions.
Apple TV+ series is coming to the end of season one. Photo: Apple
It’s Friday — which, among other things, means new shows going live on Apple TV+. This week, Apple has posted one new episode each of current series Little Voice and The Oprah Conversation.
Buyers of the newest iMac can look forward to better performance, along with other new features. Photo: Apple
The very first benchmark scores are coming to light for the 2020 iMac that Apple unveiled Tuesday, and this computer is already showing a healthy performance increase over the 2019 version.
Despite a beta test, the Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming service isn’t headed for iPhone. Photo: Microsoft
Google Stadia and Microsoft Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming services aren’t debuting on iPhone or iPad anytime soon. And the holdup isn’t for technical reasons. It’s about Apple’s App Store policy.
These services could bring desktop-level games to Apple mobile devices. But Microsoft’s offering definitely won’t debut in the App Store this autumn, and Google’s isn’t available, either.
The OWC Rover Pro adds Mac Pro wheels for much less than Apple’s price. Photo: OWC
Apple sells wheels for the 2019 Mac Pro for the slightly ridiculous price of $699. On Thursday, a third-party accessory maker launched a cheaper option. Well, relatively cheaper: the OWC Rover Pro wheel kit is $199.
Don't be fooled by fake news stories. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
WhatsApp has long been taking steps to fight the spread of fake news on its platform. The latest, a new feature being piloted in many markets, makes it easier to fact-check any news stories you receive.
YouTube videos can look a lot better thanks to macOS Big Sur Beta 4. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple released the public beta of macOS Big Sur beta 4 Thursday, and the hottest new feature is very high-resolution YouTube videos. Once Mac users get their hands on the OS upgrade this autumn, they’ll be able to stream video from this service in 4K.
Just tap on the Apple TV widget to jump to your favorite shows in iPadOS 14. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
A highlight of iOS 14 beta 4 is a TV widget on the Home screen, giving users easy access to shows in the Apple TV app. And the Weather widget returns for iPad users, among a handful of other tweaks.
Apple released the public beta Thursday after seeding it to developers earlier this week.
There’s new evidence the iPhone 12 notch will be the same size it’s been for years. Photo: Apple
A supposed image of the iPhone 12 display hardware shows that the screen cutout in the upcoming handset remains the same size as in its predecessors.
Earlier this year, we heard unconfirmed reports that this feature, usually called the notch, would shrink considerably in the iPhone 12. That’s not going to happen, if the image that leaked out Thursday is legit.
Twelve South's HiRise Duet is a primo charging dock for iPhone and Apple Watch. Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
Twelve South’s HiRise Duet iPhone and Apple Watch Stand is one of the best high-end charging stands on the market.
It charges fast, keeps my Apple Watch in nightstand mode, and takes up minimal room on my bedside table. Constructed from premium materials, the HiRise Duet makes decluttering sleek and stylish.
The latest update to the Twitter app for iOS allows users to limit who can reply to their tweets. Twitter started testing the feature with a small number of users in May. Thursday’s update rolls it out to everyone.
Update: Twitter admitted Thursday that it got ahead of itself. It announced this feature in the release notes of its latest iOS app, but then told The Verge “the ability to limit replies on tweets is not currently available to everyone.”
Apple's AI boss says machine learning is being used in more places than ever. Photo: Apple
Apple is using machine learning technology in more and more of its features, John Giannandrea, the company’s senior vice president for machine learning and AI strategy, reveals in a new interview with Ars Technica.
Giannandrea, who joined Apple from a job at Google, said “there are increasingly fewer and fewer places in iOS where we’re not using machine learning.” This stands in strong contrast to a few years ago — and even the point at which Giannandrea landed his Apple job.
Get a complete tour and education in the many powerful capabilities of Microsoft Excel. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you’re a professional who works on a computer, chances are you’ve encountered Microsoft Excel. That’s because it’s one of the most powerful tools for managing data, schedules and more. It’s truly a fundamental part of any modern workplace, so it pays to get familiar with the popular spreadsheet program.
This bundle of courses will make you a master of Microsoft Excel.
TikTok may only be the first app targeted. Photo: Apple
The Trump administration wants to eliminate “untrusted” Chinese apps from the App Store as part of a multiphase “Clean Network” plan to cut down on potential security risks from China.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the United States will crack down on apps with parent companies based in China. The two specific apps mentioned are TikTok and WeChat. However, Pompeo simply used these to illustrate the kinds of apps that could get the boot.
Coming soon to an Apple Music show near you. Photo: Lady Gaga/Apple Music
The song “Radio Ga-Ga” gave Lady Gaga her stage name, and now, years later, she has her own radio show. And it’s debuting this week on Apple Music.
Gaga Radio will premiere at 11 a.m. Pacific on Friday, and run every Friday for the whole of August. In a tweet announcing the new show, Gaga invited listeners to hear her and her Chromatica collaborators “talk about the inspirations, making the record & more!”