What better way to while away the day than with a book on tape? Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Struggling for ways to entertain your kids with schools out and social distancing in play? Streaming audiobook company Audible has your back.
Audible is offering free audiobook stories for kids to “help them continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids.” (And, hopefully one day, Audible subscribers.)
Friday means new Apple TV+ content to watch! Photo: Apple TV+
After a brief theatrical run to make it eligible for awards season, Apple TV+ movie The Banker made its debut on the streaming service Friday.
The movie, based on a true story, stars Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson as Bernard Garrett and Joe Morris, two of the first black bankers in the United States. To get around discriminatory Jim Crow-era laws, they hire a white man (played by Nicholas Hoult) to be the face of their business, while they pose as a chauffeur and janitor.
F. Murray Abraham & Rob McElhenney as the squabbling idiot architects of wildly popular MMORPG Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet Photo: Apple TV+
Trapped indoors with nothing to watch during the COVID-19 quarantine, or just sick of your usual streaming options? Apple TV+ harbors a day’s worth of exciting and compelling programming to finally dig into.
For anyone looking for an excuse to finally give the streaming service a try, here’s a guide to some standout shows. Not every Apple TV+ series is a slam dunk, but there are hidden gems waiting to be binged during these uncertain times.
Expect Netflix to stay in the no. 1 spot for the foreseeable future. Photo: Brad Gibson / Cult of Mac
Quarantine and chill is about to get a noticeable quality drop for Netflix users in Europe.
Netflix announced Thursday it would begin to reduce bit rates on all streams in Europe starting today. The move came shortly Netflix CEO Reed Hastings called a European Union official to discuss how to stop the internet from getting congested as more people are being told to work from home.
All the wallpapers Apple created for the 2020 iPad Pro can be yours. Photo: ispazio
The 2020 iPad Pro comes with a gorgeous set of wallpapers. But it’s not necessary to get Apple’s latest tablet to put these images on your own tablet. Or your iPhone, Mac or Apple Watch.
All the new wallpapers have been posted online in a variety of sizes.
Repairing medical devices is a lot more confusing than fixing iPhones. Photo: iFixit
iFixit, the second-largest Apple parts supplier after Apple, is launching a new section on its website today dedicated to fixing medical equipment.
The growing COVID-19 pandemic is already beginning to strain hospitals and the supply of breathing ventilators that are crucial to fighting acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by COVID-19. With ventilators running 24/7, keeping them repaired and running will be a colossal task, so iFixit has taken it upon itself to create a central database of how-to resources on maintaining medical equipment. And they need your help.
Seeing double? Fixing duplicate workouts is easier than you think. Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac
The Health app on your iPhone acts as a central repository for all your workout data. Not just activity from your Apple Watch, but from third-party apps, too.
That’s great, because it gives you the freedom to use any workout app you want, safe in the knowledge that it will still contribute to your Activity rings. But this flexibility can cause problems. When you use multiple apps or third-party devices, it can cause duplicate workouts. So let’s take a look at how Apple handles these duplicates, what impact they have on your Activity Rings, and how you can fix the problem.
Why wait? You can grab iPadOS 13.4 golden master now. Or iOS 13.4 golden master for your iPhone. Photo: Cult of Mac
The final version of iPadOS 13.4 was just released to anyone who joins Apple’s public beta program. This is a big upgrade for iPad users, adding robust mouse support and other improvements.
The same goes for iOS 13.4 golden master, which brings iCloud folder sharing to iPhones.
Even old iPhones will get iOS 14's new features. Photo: Cult of Mac
Thanks to unprecedented early leaks, some of the biggest new features planned for iOS 14 have already been spoiled. Apple is supposedly making some huge changes to the Home screen, iMessages, HomeKit, Apple Pencil and much more in its next-gen mobile operating system.
The recent wave of leaks proved so overwhelming that we rounded them all up in one place. We will keep updating the list as we inch closer to this summer’s Worldwide Developers Conference, where Apple traditionally previews all of its upcoming platform updates.
Apple will pay you up to $240 for an iPad Pro. That's it! Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
Apple is offering laughably low trade-in rates for old iPad Pro models. You can make a maximum of $240 if you have a high-end device with bags of storage that’s still in good condition. But 2018 iPad Pro models are worth a lot more than that.
Cult of Mac will pay you up to $300 for a base model 11-inch iPad Pro with just 64GB of storage. That figure rises to $400 for a 512GB model, while a 12.9-inch iPad Pro can earn you as much as $500.
Apple is closed for business in Italy. Photo: Apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed this week that Apple has been making substantial donations at home and abroad to help combat the global coronavirus epidemic.
In a tweet this morning, Cook said Apple has been helping Protezione Civile — the national body that deals with the prediction, prevention and management of emergency events in Italy. Not only is Apple opening its wallet but it’s also helping Italians get crucial medical supplies.
Pretty much any mouse will work with the iPad in iPadOS 13.4. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Apple’s new Magic Keyboard case for the iPad Pro looks amazing. But its most impressive feature (aside from that incredibly solid-looking hinge) will become available to any iPad owner with a mouse or trackpad laying around. The new trackpad support coming next week in iOS 13.4 works with pretty much any Bluetooth or USB mouse. You just connect the peripheral, and a cursor appears on the iPad screen.
This is a much, much better system than the cobbled-together mouse support that already exists in iOS 13’s Accessibility settings. Instead of simply imitating a finger on-screen, Apple completely rethought how a cursor should work on a touch-based device. This thing is deep, as we’re about to see.
Here’s a hands-on look at the new iPad mouse and trackpad features.
New AI sky enhancement tools are a blast. Screenshot: Skylum
Imaging software brand Skylum announced new tools to its popular editing app Luminar to support creative digital artists and enhancements to help portrait photographers create more flattering images.
Luminar 4.2 features an AI Augmented Sky tool, allowing artists to seamlessly add objects to create unconventional composite images. Photographers can now remove excessive shine and add slimming effects to the faces of their subjects.
You’ll have to wait until April to get the base model 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Photo: Apple
Buyers already snapped up the Apple’s initial supply of one version of the 2020 iPad Pro. A 12.9-inch model ordered now won‘t ship until early April. The 11-inch model is still available on launch day, however.
In what’s likely an attempt to prevent hoarding, Apple put a restriction on how many iPad Pro units each customer could buy.
The 2020 iPad Pro intensifies the battle for computing supremacy. Photo: Apple
Ten years ago, the iPad was a barely capable, outsize version of the iPhone. The idea that it could outdo the Mac was laughable. And yet here we are, a decade later with the 2020 iPad Pro, and that’s exactly what has happened.
The Mac has stood still (or even gone backward, if you count that keyboard), while the iPad has turned into the computer from the future. Here’s what Apple’s two platforms look like in a head-to-head battle in 2020.
Apple’s big iOS 14 update could bring CarPlay wallpapers for the first time — as well as more Maps improvements, a new report claimed Thursday.
These are the latest snippets in a series of leaks from unreleased iOS 14 code. They come less a week before Apple is scheduled to roll out iPadOS 13.4, another rather significant update that brings true trackpad support to iPad.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings thinks a temporary feature could be used to scale back HD viewing. Photo: Global X/Flickr CC
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings recently called a European Union official to discuss ways to stop the internet getting congested as more people rely on their home internet connection while WFH (working from home) during the coronavirus pandemic.
One of them? Automatically switching users to standard definition instead of HD during peak traffic hours.
The 2020 iPad Pro looks good anywhere. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
The first 2020 iPad Pro orders will start reaching customers next Wednesday, March 25. You don’t need to wait that long to see what it will look like on your desk, complete with amazing Magic Keyboard, however.
Using the power of augmented reality, Apple can put a virtual iPad Pro anywhere in your home. But be warned: If you didn’t already want a 2020 iPad Pro, you will after you see one right in front of you.
It's all about TikTok these days. And the apps that help make it what it is. Photo: TikTok
TikTok is the hottest app going right now, and plenty of other developers are trying to hitch their wagon to TikTok’s proverbial star by building apps that function as “enhancements” to the mega-popular video editing and sharing app.
According to new data from app analytics platform Sensor Tower, of the 480 million installs generated by 2019’s top 20 new apps, almost 38% were video and photo editors and sticker apps designed to enhance the experience of using TikTok or Instagram. That’s quite the ecosystem!
An intriguingly different look at the origins of the iPhone. Photo: Luke Dormehl/Cult of Mac
Quirky but excellent new book iBauhaus traces Apple’s design principles to a German design school nearly a century old. Written by art expert Nicholas Fox Weber, the book won’t appeal to everyone.
If you’re exclusively interested in behind-the-scenes details of how Apple makes and sells its products, this book probably isn’t for you. If you shuddered through Jony Ive interviews heavy on design-speak, this definitely isn’t the book for you.
However, a certain segment of readers — myself included — will find iBauhaus really enjoyable. And they will learn a lot about the design of the iPhone along the way.
We've rounded up some of the best gear and accessories to help make the most from working from home. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Working from home? Welcome to the new normal. Even under the best circumstances, transitions can be difficult, and a lot of it comes down to good habits. But it can also come down to having the right tools. That’s why we rounded up timely deals on some of the best gear for working from home.
Get ready to save on second computer screens, monitor stands, Mac accessories and more. There’s even a hot deal on a refurbished Magic Mouse 2!
Got Amazon vouchers ready to spend? Save on the 2020 iPad Pro. Photo: Apple
Apple’s new 2020 iPad Pro lineup is now available to preorder from Amazon just a day after its official unveiling.
Both the 11- and 12.9-inch options in all storage capacities are available with a release date of March 25. Prices start at $799.99 — 99 cents more than Apple charges — for the base model.
Coming sooner than some expected? Photo: the Hacker 34
Apple has apparently had a change of heart after indefinitely delaying the iPhone SE 2, also referred to as the iPhone 9. According to Front Page Tech analyst Jon Prosser, Apple has put the handset into mass production.
If correct, this reflects just how rapidly the supply chain situation is changing in China. From factories being shut down completely in February, companies like Foxconn are now reportedly back on track.
It’s been a surreal sight watching late night hosts deliver monologues to largely empty theaters as they do their darnedest to carry on during the current coronavirus crisis.
But Conan O’Brien has a plan for how to continue shooting a full-length TV show during the age of COVID-19. His solution? He’s going to film the whole thing on his iPhone.