Masimo Corp claims Apple Watch uses its trade secrets. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Apple Watch’s incredible pulse-monitoring powers are at the center of Apple’s newest legal battle.
Masimo Corp., a healthcare company that manufactures pulse monitor technology, filed a lawsuit against Apple alleging that the iPhone-maker stole trade secrets.
The Wemo WiFi Smart Plug and Wemo Stage were both unveiled at CES 2020. Photo: Belkin
Belkin’s latest version of its Wemo smart plug with HomeKit support is significantly smaller than its predecessor, making it less obtrusive on wall sockets.
The company also unveiled at CES 2020 the Wemo Stage, a remote than can be used to launch HomeKit scenes with the punch of a button.
The second-gen Apple Pencil has a single capacitive button, but Apple is considering several more. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Building on the capabilities of the Apple Pencil active stylus, Apple proposes adding additional touch-sensitive controls to the exterior. This would expand the capabilities of this drawing tool for the iPad without making it more difficult to use.
This is just one of several ways Apple is considering to improve the Pencil.
The window 'manager' you never knew you wanted. Photo: John Siracusa
If you’re at your Mac, go ahead and click a window for another app (don’t forget to come back right away). Clicking an app’s window brings it to the foreground, of course. But did you notice that only the window you clicked came forward. If that other app has any other windows open, they will stay hidden. It wasn’t always this way. In pre-OS X days, the default behavior was to bring all those windows to the front. And now, thanks to a new app called Front and Center, from John Siracusa, you can get this behavior on a modern Mac.
Shows like The Morning Show have been hits. But Apple has to build them from the ground-up. Photo: Apple
You may not have ever heard of him, but Apple TV+ has a lot riding on Michael Ellenberg.
As the executive producer of The Morning Show, Ellenberg’s unproven production company was the first to score a multi-season deal for Apple TV+. In a recent interview with Variety, Ellenberg discussed how ’90s morning TV shows inspired The Morning Show along with the pressure of developing two more shows for Apple TV+.
The Apple Watch can tell you about the batteries in your AirPods. Photo: Cult of Mac
There are several ways to check the remaining battery life on your AirPods and AirPods Pro. You can flip open the AirPods’ case, and wave it near your iPhone or iPad to see a pop up battery screen. Or, if the AirPods are currently connected to your iPhone, you can swipe to the batter widget in the Today widget screen. But did you also know that you can check your AirPods’ battery from your Apple Watch?
Apple sure has sold a lot of iPhones over the years. Photo: MacPaw
Apple will sell its 2 billionth iPhone in 2020 or 2021, a poll of analysts suggests.
They suggest that Apple will sell close to 195 million iPhones in fiscal 2020. That would bring the total number of iPhones sold since launch to around 1.9 billion units. Provided that they are talking about Apple’s fiscal 2020, which ends in September, that could conceivably mean pushing past the 2 billion milestone this calendar year.
75 computers, a bunch of Newton MessagePads, and more. Photo: Jimmy Grewal
A large white room filled with row upon row of just about every Apple computer you can imagine, all in pristine condition. On the walls are framed copies of Apple’s black-and-white “Think Different” ads. Sunlight streams through the large windows, giving everything a warm glow.
Is this heaven? The world’s greatest Apple Store? Nope, it’s Dubai, actually. Home to Jimmy Grewal, a collector of vintage Apple computers and one of the most impressive collections you’re likely to find anywhere.
Understand your mind as you work and improve on 4 types of focus with this cognitive biometrics app and accessory. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
It’s possible for anybody to cultivate focus and mindfulness, with the right help. Some take up meditation, or yoga, or chanting, but technology also offers a way to train your mind.
Cook’s award shelf is quickly running out of room. Photo: Apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook is set to receive a Special Recognition Award for the company’s 40 years of investment in Ireland, the IDA confirmed to Cult of Mac.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar will present Cook with the accolade on January 20 in Dublin. It may be met with criticism from some as Apple continues to pay back €13 billion in unpaid Irish taxes.
Rob McElhenney, co-creator of Apple TV+’s upcoming video game comedy Mythic Quest, says that Apple was “very helpful” in the creative process involved in making the show. But he noted that the company was more than willing to push back on issues it felt strongly about.
“Deference would assume we always know what we’re doing and when we walk into the room everyone should just be quiet,” McElhenney told Variety. “That is dangerous because then you have no opposition, and it doesn’t make for the best process.”
TiVo's probably not getting an Apple TV app. Not in the future -- or whenever this picture was taken. Photo: TiVo
TiVo’s plans for an Apple TV app are “currently on hold,” according to an executive at the company. Speaking with TechHive, Ted Malone, TiVo’s VP of consumer products and services, described the promised app as being “in limbo.”
A spokesperson later said that this is because the company has, “re-prioritized several projects in order to focus on the launch of TiVo Stream 4K.” It sounds as if Roku and Fire TV apps may also be set to suffer a similar fate.
NYC commuters can now use Apple Pay to pay at busy Penn Station. Photo: Gryffindor/Wikipedia CC
Some Apple Pay Express Transit users are being overcharged during travel in the New York subway. That’s because the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s OMNY tap-and-go fare readers are picking up their iPhones — even when users aren’t intending to use them.
According to the New York Post, the issue has resulted in a small number of users receiving an extra $2.75 charge. Here’s how you can avoid the problem if it’s happened to use.
The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock can be added to your door and your HomeKit network. Photo: August
This week’s Consumer Electronics Show brings a range of security devices that support Apple’s HomeKit home-automation system, including the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock.
Other notable announcements are new security cameras from Abode, and a smart lock and pair of cameras from ADT.
Speaker company JBL week announced this week the JBL Bar 9.1, a new soundbar with AirPlay 2 support. Photo: JBL
JBL used CES this week to introduce an AirPlay 2-ready soundbar with Dolby Atmos support and a unique take on wireless rear speakers.
Instead of cables running through the room or wireless speakers plugged into the wall for power, the JBL Bar 9.1 uses wireless, battery-powered rear speakers.
Surprisingly, the App Store makes up less than half of revenue from Apple Services. Photo: Apple
Revenue from Apple services reportedly grew 16% year-over-year in 2019 even as sales of iPhones declined. This indicates this company’s growth doesn’t depend on increasing handset sales, according to a market analysis firm.
Investor optimism about Apple’s services may have helped increase its share price almost 2% in the last month.
Satechi's new hub charges everything — and fast! Photo: Satechi
Tech accessory maker Satechi announced Wednesday its 108-watt Pro USB-C PD desktop charger which can power multiple devices simultaneously without needing to share power between ports.
The unit simultaneously charges four devices and includes two USB-C PD (90W, 18W) and two USB-A (a total of 12W) ports.
This is the simplest "hack" ever. Photo: Cult of Mac
I sent my first pair of AirPods Pro back to Apple soon after buying them. Why? Because they were too small for my ears. Even with the biggest silicone tips fitted, I could never get too green checkmarks on the Ear Tip Fit Test. But, thanks to an absurdly simple hack, I’m back in the game. Now my AirPods Pro past the fit test every time. More importantly, noise really is sealed out, and the AirPods Pro are super comfy.
Get a better grip on your iPhone photography. Photo: Just Mobile
The iPhone is the best camera because it is already with you – that is until it slips out of your hands while taking a picture and it is damaged on impact.
Just Mobile solved this ergonomic shortcoming last year with a Bluetooth grip topped with a proper shutter button right where the index finger naturally rests on a camera.
But Just Mobile decided to attack additional mobile photography challenges with ShutterGrip2, which is currently being demoed at CES 2020 in Las Vegas.
Check out these advanced settings for your AirPods Pro. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
By now, you already know how to customize the regular stuff on your AirPods and AirPods Pro. You just find them in the list of connected Bluetooth gadgets, and tap the i button to see a list of handy settings. But what about deeper-level customization? Like most things in iOS, there’s an extra set of advanced AirPods Pro settings inside the Accessibility settings. You even change double-squeeze speed of the AirPods Pro stems if you want to slow things down.
The Samsung T7 Touch comes in black or silver, and holds up to 2TB. Biometric security sets it apart from the pack. Photo: Samsung
The Samsung T7 Touch goes the extra mile in security. This portable Solid State Drive (SSD) is available in sizes up to 2TB, but its signature feature is an integrated fingerprint scanner, so it can be unlocked with the press of a finger.
The original 13-inch Linedock will soon be joined by 15- and 16-inch versions. Photo: Linedock
Larger versions of the Linedock multi-port USB-C adapter are in development. This hub that boasts up to 2TB of storage sits under a MacBook, so increasing the size for the 15- and 16-inch MacBook Pro makes sense — and makes room for additional features.
Twitter today rolled out its latest client update for macOS, adding Touch Bar and Sidecar support for the first time.
The release comes just a few months after Twitter took advantage of improvements in macOS Catalina that allowed it to port its iPad app to the desktop.