Full-screen works great on a MacBook. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Full-screen mode on a Mac is pretty great. Unlike Windows, where full-screen apps have been the default since forever, the Mac’s full-screen abilities are a fairly recent addition. And the default is still for apps to launch in smaller windows, which is the Mac Way. But what if you want those apps to launch in full-screen every time you open them? Well, by changing one setting — and abandoning an ingrained habit — you can have exactly that.
Bonus: Full-screen app launching will only apply to the apps you choose, leaving the rest of them to behave normally.
Apple's Barton Creek retail store in Austin, TX could be one of many stores in the U.S. to re-open starting May 1. Photo: Apple
Simon Property Group, the biggest mall owner in the United States, will reopen 49 of its shopping centers in early May — potentially bringing 13 now-shuttered Apple Stores back online.
The locations span across seven states, in major cities including Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Indianapolis and Austin, Texas.
Get the update today on Mac and iOS. Photo: Ulysses
Ulysses, the outstanding writing app for Mac and iOS, just got its big version 19 update. It brings full mouse and trackpad support on iPad, as well as a number of neat improvements to things like keywords and Files integration.
It also boasts a new feature dubbed Material sheets, which allows you to mark sheets you’ve used for brainstorming and research, and have them excluded from counters, goals, and exports.
FaceTime isn't perfect, but it's pretty great for encryption. Photo: Apple
Video-calling apps are booming right now, but which ones can you trust when it comes to security? A Mozilla report published Tuesday assesses all the major platforms, noting which apps do and do not pass the privacy-conscious foundation’s minimum security standards.
The big takeaway? Most of the top video conferencing apps, FaceTime included, are actually impressively secure. But there are a few outliers.
Why pay full price? We're offering discounts of 75% or more on these great apps and gear. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Everybody loves a good sale, so we rounded up the biggest price drops currently offered by Cult of Mac Deals. We’ve got a powerful iOS alternative, noise-canceling headphones, language courses and five years of at-home exercise, all discounted by 75% or more.
"This laptop can't last forever. Better buy a spare just in case." Photo: Rupixen/Unsplash
The coronavirus pandemic might have wreaked havoc on the economy, but consumer spending on tech gadgets actually seems to be up during lockdown. Like, way up.
According to NPD analyst Stephen Baker, there was a surprising 23% hike in consumer tech sales year-on-year for the week ending April 18. That compares to an overall decline of 23% across all industries the firm tracks.
1.5MB of empty space added to every photo. Photo: NeoFinder Blog
A strange bug uncovered in macOS can fill up your storage drives with a whole bunch of empty data. The issue is found inside the Image Capture app and surfaces when transferring HEIF photos from an iPhone or iPad to a Mac.
When's the last time a politician visited your home? Photo: 8th Wall
With coronavirus lockdown stopping a large number of public gatherings, Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin, took a high-tech approach to addressing the nation on Israel’s Independence Day Tuesday: he used augmented reality.
With the aid of augmented reality and volumetric video, Rivlin found a way to visit every home in the country. Now that’s one form of democracy that the AR-loving Apple could surely get on board with!
Retailers are slashing prices on the 2018 iPad Pro following the launch of its successor. You can save up to $200 on remaining stock at B&H Photo, with prices starting at just $799 for a 12.9-inch model with 64GB of storage.
A limited supply is available, B&H warns, so bag yours before they’re all gone!
Apple makes technology so intuitive that even a kid can pick it up and use its basic features without too many problems. But they probably shouldn’t be able to find feature-breaking bugs, right?
According to a recent Reddit post, an 8-year-old kid was able to find a workaround to the Screen Time restrictions that let parents block out access to apps like YouTube. This feature was introduced in iOS 12 to record the amount of time users spend looking at their devices. It also lets parents better control what their offspring are doing on an iOS device.
Only a few more weeks to wait. Photo: Richard Shrum for Cult of Mac
In a video update to Apple employees, Deidre O’Brien, VP of retail and people, says that “many more” Apple Stores will start reopening next month.
In comments shared by Bloomberg, O’Brien said that: “We are continuing to analyze this health situation in every location, and I do expect we will reopen up many more stores in May.” She didn’t state exactly which stores Apple would be reopening.
The iPhone SE can take a 2D image and make it into a Portrait Mode picture with the bokeh effect. Photo: Apple
The 2020 iPhone SE is the first Apple smartphone to offer Portrait Mode photos created entirely with software techniques rather than hardware. That’s not true of any previous iOS device, not even the one you think it is.
Lux Optics, maker of Halide, examined how Apple’s new budget phone adds the bokeh effect to 2D pictures.
Your Mac and iPhone will continue to get service from Comcast, Verizon or T-Mobile if you’re laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: Pexels CC
Verizon or T-Mobile won’t disconnect your iPhone if you can’t pay your bill because COVID-19 cost you your job. And Comcast won’t cut your Mac off from the internet either.
The companies committed on Monday to not terminate service or charge late fees through June 30.
The new Aqara smart switches with HomeKit don’t require a neutral wire. That’s critical for many homes. Photo: Aqara
There are quite a few wall switches that support Apple’s HomeKit home-automation system, but Aqara on Tuesday unveiled two that should catch the eye of anyone with an older home. Unlike virtually all competitors, these don’t require a neutral wire, something that exists primarily in newer buildings.
These switches make any ceiling fixture smart. They can be controlled via an iPhone or Siri commands from anywhere.
Haptic Touch notifications aren't working - sort of - on the new iPhone SE. Photo: Brad Gibson / Cult of Mac
Since receiving their new 2020 iPhone SE mobile phones on Friday, customers have been reporting the inability to press on notifications in the Notification Center and to select various shortcuts and commands, better known as Haptic Touch. From all indications, it appears the specific inability is deliberate on the new device.
Even the new-ish 16-inch MacBook Pro runs hot. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Does your brand new MacBook Pro go into meltdown when it’s plugged into power? Do the fans spin up into a blast of white noise, while the heat makes your hands sweat as you type? Is your kernel\_task pegged using 100% of the CPU when you check things out in the Activity Monitor app?
If so, don’t worry — it’s not your Mac’s fault. It’s you. You’re charging it wrong.
Yes, if you plug your USB-C power cable into the left-hand side of your MacBook Pro, you might make it overheat.
Don't pay full price when you can save! Photo: Apple
Apple’s brilliant new Magic Keyboard might be the best accessory ever made for iPad Pro. Get your 11-inch model today on Amazon and enjoy an early discount. You can also save on the 11-inch Smart Keyboard Folio.
Would you touch this Space bar? Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Zoom is the world’s favorite app during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite its flagrant privacy abuses, and a history of startlingly bad security holes, people are using the videoconferencing service for remote teaching, conference calls and virtual get-togethers.
If you — or your boss or a stubborn family member — insist on using this software rather than one of the safer Zoom alternatives, this Mac tip will save you a lot of trouble. Using the Push to Talk feature will make your Zoom life a lot easier.
As expected, HBO Max will launch May 27 with support for Apple devices. Photo: WarnerMedia
HBO Max will be available on all Apple devices when it launches on May 27 and will be fully integrated with the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple TV, WarnerMedia announced Monday.
Apple and WarnerMedia also announced that that existing HBO Now customers, billed through the App Store, and HBO subscribers who subscribe through Apple TV channels, will be upgraded to HBO Max at no additional charge.
The UK's National Health Service won’t use Apple/Google tech to warn users if they've recently been in contact with someone infected with coronavirus. Photo: NHS
The U.K. reportedly decided to go with a coronavirus contact-tracing application different from the system Apple and Google are creating jointly. The National Health Service built an app that creates a central database of people who have tested positive for COVID-19. The Apple and Google solution uses a decentralized system for privacy reasons.
An iPhone SE test shows it might not have the battery life you expect. Photo: Mrwhosetheboss
A side-by-side battery comparison by a popular YouTube channel concludes that for consumers wanting a long-lasting smartphone, the second-generation iPhone SE might not be the best answer.
Instantly translate text, pictures and documents with this handy productivity app. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Google Translate is great, but good luck if you want to read anything more than an email or a short article. Recordings, websites and images often show up in languages we can’t read. A tool that deciphers them all is handy indeed.
What better way to turn up to the Apple Park tour once things reopen after lockdown? Photo: DuPont Registry
Have $499,000 to spare and looking to show off your Apple fandom credentials? A replica of the Apple-sponsored 1979 Porsche 935 K3 race car, which once raced at Le Mans, has shown up for sale online.
Apple sponsored the original car, operated by racing team Dick Barbour Racing, in 1980, only a few years into Apple’s history. That vehicle, which features the Apple Computer name and rainbow colors, is now part of radio host and podcaster Adam Corolla’s extensive car collection. While the model for sale here is just a replica, it’s still a pretty stunning collector’s piece — as suggested by the sizable asking price.
Apple and Google support a decentralized approach to contact-tracing. Photo: Apple/Google
Germany has reportedly changed its mind over whether or not to embrace the decentralized approach to contact-tracing technology supported by Apple and Google.
As recently as the end of last week, Germany was backing a centralized standard technology called PEPP-PT. This stands for called Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing. It has now seemingly switched its support to a “strongly decentralized” approach. This is the approach backed by Apple and Google.