Massive discounts are back on the terrific 10.2-inch iPad. You can save up to $99.01 on many models for a limited time only. Prices now start at just $249.99 — down from $329. Order yours before they sell out.
Facebook has a new acquisition under its belt. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Most of the world might be tightening its belt as the economy stumbles thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, but don’t count Facebook among them! According to a report first published Friday by Axios, the social media giant is buying GIF-making and sharing website Giphy for an enormous $400 million.
Over-ear Apple headphones sound like music to our ears. Image: The CultCast
This week on The CultCast: Details leak on AirPods Studio, Apple’s super-secret, over-ear pro headphones. Plus: Cupertino is opening for business as Apple gets ready to get back to work. And we wrap up with a high-tech “oregano” grinder, mini at-home beer tap, and an electric bike cruiser styled like a vintage moped, in an all-new Under Review!
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.
Solve puzzles and help a mysterious cast of characters in Winding Worlds. Photo: KO_OP/Apple
Winding Worlds promises to be a “world-wiggling puzzle journey.”
The latest addition to Apple Arcade is in the same genre as the classic Monument Valley, where players solve puzzles to work their way through a story. KO_OP describes its creation as “a heartwarming tale of grief, love, truth, and acceptance.”
Show off your Apple Watch setup. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Did you know that it’s possible to capture Apple Watch screenshots after a simple settings change? Find out how in today’s pro tip and it’ll be easier than ever to share snaps of your favorite Apple Watch apps and watch face setups.
Turn your passion into a lucrative side hustle. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Things are weird in the world, but it’s a golden age for the digital content creator. People are looking for videos to keep them entertained and informed like never before. So if you’ve got an idea, talent or creative drive, this bundle of resources will help you connect with an eager audience on one of the biggest platforms of all: YouTube.
Apple’s rumored augmented reality glasses ... coming 2021 or 2022? Photo: Martin Hajek
Apple’s widely rumored augmented reality glasses will be released sometime between March and June of 2021, according to leaker and YouTuber Jon Prosser, contradicting a report Thursday from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that the product is on course for its debut in 2022.
You can play with and against strangers, too. Photo: Nintendo
Mario Kart Tour version 2.1.0 has arrived in the App Store, bringing a slew of new features to Nintendo’s popular kart-racing title.
The update went live on Thursday. Its biggest new addition is the presence of a Team Races mode, allowing players to form into four separate teams for races. This adds an extra bit of zip to the game’s multiplayer mode, which went live for players everywhere in March.
New factory will be located in Arizona. Screenshot: Apple
Apple A-series chipmaker TSMC announced Friday its intentions to build and run a new semiconductor fabrication plant in the U.S.
The new plant will be built in Arizona, with “support from the U.S. federal government and the State of Arizona,” a report published Friday by Digitimes claims. It will use TSMC’s 5-nanometer process to manufacture up to 20,000 semiconductor wafers per month. The iPhone 12 is widely expected to boast 5nm chips.
New tax would hurt companies making products outside the U.S. Screenshot: White House
President Donald Trump’s on again/off again friendship with Apple could switch to “off again” if he institutes proposed taxes on American companies that produce goods outside the United States.
Intended as an incentive to boost U.S. manufacturing, this would nonetheless hurt Apple — which produces the overwhelming majority of its devices overseas, mainly in China.
The plot thickens in episode six. Photo: Apple TV+
Episode six of Defending Jacob debuted on Apple TV+ Friday, providing fans with another episode of the compelling crime drama to enjoy as the week comes to a close.
Titled “Wishful Thinking,” Apple’s preview for the episode reads as follows: “Andy and Klein explore two last-ditch efforts to prove Jacob’s innocence.”
Apple's 2020 Supplier Responsibility progress report focuses on protecting its supply chain partners in a new world of COVID-19. Photo: Apple
Apple released its 2020 Supplier Responsibility progress report Thursday detailing what steps it is taking to increase safety and protect supply chain workers worldwide in the shadow of the ever-challenging coronavirus outbreak.
Written by Sabih Khan, Apple’s senior vice president of operations, a letter accompanying the report in PDF details changes that Apple has made to protect its supply chain partners, such as strict adherence to social distancing, limiting density, and health screenings.
NextVR is no more, snapped up by Apple. Photo: NextVR
Apple acquired a startup that provides virtual-reality experiences for watching live events. The purchase of NextVR could lead to Apple building more VR capabilities into its products.
Facebook Messenger Rooms allows users to host video calls of up to 50 people free of charge. Photo: Facebook
Facebook took on Zoom and FaceTime Thursday by enabling its new video-calling service, Messenger Rooms, to make free calls between as many as 50 people.
The feature was announced last month, and is available now is the US and Canada. It’ll be rolled out globally next week, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Mophie Powerstation Wireless XL wirelessly charges an iPhone, and can itself be wirelessly charged. Photo: Zagg/Mophie
The Mophie Powerstation Wireless XL juices up iPhones with wireless charging or through a USB-C fast charge. And there are even more options to replenish this 10,000mAh power bank, as it receives power through a Lightning port, USB-C or wireless charging.
The product launched Thursday, and Apple likes it enough to add the product to its online store.
Probably the best way to spend $179. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
If you don’t already have an Apple Watch, now is the time to change that. Brand-new Series 3 models are now available from Amazon at their lowest prices yet. Order yours today for just $179.
New iPads expected in next year, according to a reputable analyst. Photo: ispazio
Apple will launch a new 10.8-inch iPad during the second half of 2020, followed by a new iPad mini that’s between 8.5-inches and 9-inches during the first half of 2021, according to a report released Thursday by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
A security patch for Adobe Acrobat offers peace of mind. Photo: Adobe
Adobe fixed 16 critical flaws across its Acrobat and Reader applications and a software development kit that, if exploited, could let someone take complete control over another user’s Mac without them knowing it.
The only requirement for exploiting the flaw is that a user has Adobe Acrobat installed.
The iMac G4 was a thing of beauty. Meet its (conceptual) 2020 sibling. Photo: Xhakomo Doda
Albanian-Italian Apple fan and 24-year-old designer Xhakomo Doda went back to the past for his latest concept, showing one possible direction Apple could take when it eventually releases a redesigned iMac. All the way back to 2002, specifically.
Doda’s iMac G4 New Edition is, as its name suggests, a refreshed take on Apple’s iMac G4: the sunflower-inspired iMac with a floating display on an adjustable arm. And it’s pretty darn stunning.
It's easier than you think. GIF: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
It’s now easier than ever to enjoy classic Game Boy, SNES, and Nintendo 64 games on iPhone and iPad. You no longer need a jailbreak — just an iOS device, a Mac or PC, and some classic Nintendo game ROMs.
Apple Watch study to look for ways to spot COVID-19. Photo: Apple
Could the Apple Watch detect if you have coronavirus using data of your heart’s rhythm and respiration? A Stanford University study is planning to find out.
New research, reported on Thursday by Gizmodo, is looking for people with various smartwatches, like the Apple Watch, to be part of a ‘Wearables Data’ study.
Which country has the largest number of active mobile phones per person? You might be surprised.
According to employee advocate platform PostBeyond, China, the United Arab Emirates, the Seychelles, Montenegro, and Thailand have the greatest number of mobile phones per person. The United States, meanwhile, is all the way down the list at number 54. The numbers are based on World Bank data.