The Apple TV+ reboot of Amazing Stories started with a warning most viewers likely heeded: The show is going to be maudlin, and it will broadcast its emotional and dramatic beats from a mile away. Thankfully, having thrown down that gauntlet, the threat turned into a promise worth keeping. Each episode has been an improvement on the pilot.

“Dynoman and the Volt,” the third episode of the series, has quite a lot to recommend it. Enough, in fact, that it becomes easy to overlook its obvious storytelling and only half-earned poignancy.

Spyder brings a new perspective on the spy thriller. Today’s addition to the Apple Arcade subscription service features a tiny robot spider on a mission to save the great big world.

This itsy-bitsy superspy must use his gadgets to sabotage the nefarious plans of villians, requiring players see everything from a new perspective.

Apple is making it easier for Podcasts users to discover new shows focused on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The app’s new “Coronavirus: Stay Informed” section highlights content from the likes of CNN, NPR, BBC and ABC News.

The MacBook Air unveiled this week offers performance up to 73% faster than the version of this Mac laptop released in 2018, according to benchmark tests done by a reviewer.

The speed boost comes from the new model‘s 10th-generation Intel Core processor. Its predecessor has a slower, 8th-gen chip.

Continue reading

Gary Waterfield should be collaborating with colleagues today over the hum of sewing machines producing an elegant leather crossbody laptop bag.

The small-batch tech backpacks and shoulder bags of WaterField Designs since 1998 have attracted discerning Apple users. Waterfield likes to time a new production run with an Apple product launch.

But when Apple unveiled the new MacBook Air and iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard this week, the handful of WaterField employees were stuck in their San Francisco-area homes on one of the strictest lockdowns since the coronavirus invaded American soil.

Your home is clean and sanitized. You wash and moisturize your hands regularly, and you haven’t left the house in days. By all measures, you’re pretty sure that your home is an oasis from the pandemic outside your door. But then the new MacBook Air, or that emergency delivery of tea leaves from Amazon, arrives. You have just accepted a potential COVID-19 virus carrier into your home. What do you do?

You sanitize it, that’s what. Just like you’ve sanitized the surfaces in your home.

A new MacBook Air or iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard deserves protection that smells good.

Hear the name WaterField Designs and the part of the brain connected to the nose instantly recalls the rich scent of full grain leather.

One day after Apple announced its two newest products, the small-batch San Francisco manufacturer unveiled the Hitch Crossbody Laptop Brief, in two sizes with two padded compartments for both an iPad and MacBook.

Using Apple’s CarPlay platform in its current state is worse for drivers’ reaction times than being high on weed, at the drink-drive legal limit, or texting behind the wheel, a new study claims.

IAM RoadSmart, the biggest road U.K. safety charity, analyzed the impact of various in-car distractions. While CarPlay may make the experience of using your car’s infotainment system more enjoyable, the group’s research concludes that it certainly won’t make you a better driver.

“The fundamental issue of these systems [is that they require] you to take your eyes off the road ahead,” Neil Greig, policy and research director for IAM RoadSmart, told Cult of Mac. However, Greig said steps could be taken to make systems like CarPlay safer.

The 2020 iPad Pro is less than 1% faster than the previous model, according to a popular benchmarking test. The numbers appear to be the result of the new model not using Apple’s latest-generation processor.

The new tablet does offer improved graphics capabilities, however.

You don’t need to go to the gym for a great workout. If you’re stuck at home during the coronavirus outbreak, you can still work on your summer beach bod. If you’re itching to exercise indoors, you can get started — and maximize your gains — using Apple TV fitness apps.

Ever since Jane Fonda pulled on a leotard and leg warmers in the 1980s, people have been getting sweaty in front of their televisions. Now, Apple TV fitness apps bring home workouts bang up-to-date, with interactive programs tailored to users’ individual abilities and goals.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s make like Jane and feel the burn.

The first reviews of Apple’s new and improved MacBook Air are out just days after its official unveiling. It will come as no surprise to fans of the machine that each one has great things to say about Apple’s most popular notebook.

New configurations, increased storage, a reduced price, and — most importantly — and brand-new Magic Keyboard make this a stellar MacBook Air upgrade. Still not sure? Here’s what the critics have to say…

Apple is doing its part to help positive messaging regarding the coronavirus pandemic by sharing a White House video emphasizing the importance of social distancing.

The public service announcement features three core members of the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force. It’s visible in the video carousel on Apple Music and iTunes. You do not need an active Apple Music subscription to view it.

YouTube and Amazon Prime Video confirmed Friday they will will start throttling video quality in Europe in an effort to reduce the strain on network infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The temporary measure will see all YouTube videos displayed in standard definition by default, though, it is still be possible for viewers to select a higher resolution.

One of the few consolations of being cooped up is the time it gives us to catch up on streaming content. But reality TV and movies can only keep us busy for so long before our brains get hungry. With access to more than 2,000 documentaries, CuriosityStream offers some food for thought.

Apple’s supply chain is still weathering the effects of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, a report published late Thursday by Bloomberg makes clear.

Even though China has seemingly overcome the worst of the coronavirus spread, Apple products are continuing the suffer the impacts. That is likely to manifest itself in the form of delays for new products and fresh batches of existing ones.

This week on The CultCast: Our reactions to Apple’s new hardware! Plus, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about Apple’s new Mac mini, MacBook Air, iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard.

Out thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast, and use offer code CultCast at checkout for 10% off your first purchase.

Apple is planning another iPad Pro refresh for 2020 that will introduce its first Mini LED display, according to a new report. The technology could pave the way for thinner devices, but it may be exclusive to 12.9-inch models initially.

Apple’s most recent iPad Pro refresh, unveiled on Wednesday, is expected to boost shipments by as much as 40% in the meantime.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.