The B.R.U.T.E. has begun self-destructing as soon as it hits the ground in Battle Royale matches. And fortunately for fans of the game, it doesn’t appear to be an unintentional bug.
Wait a second, those aren't Echo Buds! Screenshot: John Paczkowski/Bloomberg
Here’s a top tip: If your job involves promoting hardware that is not made by Apple, do not use an Apple device in public.
It sounds easy, right? As it turns out, it’s pretty darn difficult. And it’s a problem suffered by many, many people who are likely way above your pay grade. The latest example? Amazon exec Dave Limp, who yesterday gave an interview promoting Amazon’s new wireless Echo Buds. While wearing Apple’s AirPods, of course.
An effort to save struggling LCD manufacturer Japan Display (JDI) has reportedly been scrapped.
The firm leading the bailout with a ¥63 billion ($557 million) investment this week pulled out of a potential deal, according to people familiar with the matter.
The future of JDI now looks uncertain — but strong demand for iPhone 11 is helping its bottom line.
How gorgeous is the iPhone 11 Max Pro? Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
This thing is a beauty. The first thing you notice is the glass back. The frosted matte finish makes it semi-translucent, giving it a weirdly illusory depth. It looks great. Not even the controversial, compound-eye camera bump can spoil its good looks. The iPhone 11 Pro Max is the best-looking iPhone to date, and I love it.
But don’t be fooled by the familiar design. This year’s refresh makes almost everything about Apple’s most expensive handset better than ever.
It’s faster, stronger and more water-resistant. It packs the best display you’ll find in a phone, and the best camera you’ve ever used. The battery lasts forever. Is it worth its hefty price tag? Absolutely.
Find out more in our full iPhone 11 Pro Max review.
Mario Kart Tour has the second best debut month ever on mobile Photo: Nintendo
Mario Kart Tour comes with a bunch of hidden karts and characters that you’ll need to unlock as you play. But your chances of bagging the ones you really want are incredibly slim.
Nintendo has revealed the drop rates for a whole bunch of potential new items. And you’ll be sad to hear the majority have a 1% or lower appearance rate.
Google was targeted earlier this month as well. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The U.S. Justice Department is reportedly preparing an antitrust investigation into Facebook. This comes the same month that U.S. attorneys general revealed plans to probe Google for antitrust violations.
No Facebook investigation has been announced yet. But a “person familiar with the matter” says that is going to happen. This would be the fourth recent antitrust probe of Facebook — and the latest example of the growing pushback against tech giants.
Apple has partnered with Conservation International to fund conservation. Photo: Ninara/Flickr CC
As part of its environmental efforts, Apple recently made a donation to nonprofit Conservation International. Apple’s money will help restore degraded grasslands in the Chyulu Hills of Kenya.
“By restoring tens of thousands of hectares in the Chyulu Hills, we can remove carbon from the air, protect a critical wildlife corridor for elephants, and support the livelihoods of the Maasai people,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s VP of environmental, social, and policy initiatives.
The iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are excellent, but there’s still room for improvement. Photo: Apple
There’s a lot to like in the new iPhone 11 series, but there are reasons to be disappointed, too. Some features that should be a part of any handset released in 2019 are missing, and a few rumored improvements didn’t appear.
Here are four ways the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro models fell short of the mark.
“Memories” from Maroon 5 can be the background music of your Memories. Photo: Apple Music
Maroon 5 is reportedly allowing iPhone owners to use the band’s new single “Memories” as the soundtrack when they build mini-movies from images in the Photos app.
Apple calls all these collections Memories, so the connection is obvious.
Seeing this warning could be bad news. Photo: Apple
Apple added a new feature in iOS 13.1 that alerts iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max owners when a repair shop has installed a non-genuine display on their device.
In a support document detailing the new warning feature, Apple explains why you should only seek support from technicians who have completed training from Apple and use genuine Apple parts. Of course, Apple parts can be more expensive than knock-off displays, but using the cheap stuff could cause issues with multi-touch, display brightness and colors.
The Liberty 2 Pro brings high-end audio, thanks to a coaxial driver setup. Photo: Soundcore
Soundcore wants to “democratize premium audio” with its new Bluetooth earbuds. The new wireless headphones continue the company’s pursuit of delivering quality products at affordable price points.
“It’s a value proposition for us,” said Soundcore rep Adam Weissman in a demo at the Cult of Mac offices in San Francisco. He showed off two lines of headphones — one for regular audio fans and one for fitness fiends. All the new models deliver features similar to AirPods, but at price points far below Apple’s smash-hit product.
Amazon fired shots at the HomePod, AirPods, CarPlay and more today. Photo: Amazon
Amazon is ready to push Alexa into every single corner of your life with a new wave of Echo products unveiled this morning.
Armed with 15 new products, Amazon is ready to challenge Apple like never before. The company even introduced some bold new products, like new smart glasses and a smart ring — wearables that give you 24/7 access to Alexa wherever you go. While Apple’s iPhone 11 keynote featured zero mentions of Siri, Amazon’s yearly product keynote put Alexa’s might on full display.
Bookmarklets IRL. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Every time I’ve written about bookmarklets, I’ve had to add a section on how to add them to Safari in iOS. On the Mac, you just drag them up to the bookmark bar, and you’re done. On iOS, the situation was so complex that I wrote a whole how-to just so I could link to that, instead of writing several paragraphs every time. But there is a way to drag and drop bookmarklets on iOS.
I’ve tested it on iOS 12 and iOS 13, and it’s amazing.
Can Arcade ever become the service Apple promised? Photo: Apple
Apple Arcade’s slate of more than 100 games for $4.99 a month looks like one of the best deals in gaming at first glance. But Apple’s new game subscription service fails to live up to the expectations of many iPhone and iPad owners.
That’s not because the games are bad. Or because there are hidden fees we weren’t expecting. It’s because Cupertino billed Apple Arcade as something special … and it just isn’t.
Opening up the newest Apple Watch Series 5 doesn’t find any surprises. Photo: iFixit
Disassembling the latest Apple Watch doesn’t find very much that’s different from last year’s model. That doesn’t mean there aren’t improvements in the new Series 5; they’re just not visible in a teardown, even one done by the experts at iFixit.
When dimmed, the Series 5 can be set to hide sensitive information. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
The one huge new feature in the Apple Watch Series 5 is the always-on display. Day or night, the screen never shuts off. It dims as soon as you stop using it, and all animations stop, but the face stands ready for your curious glance at any time.
However, if you wear your Apple Watch in bed, or you don’t like the idea of the watch showing your info to anybody who cares to look at the device, then there are a few settings that can help. Let’s take a look.
Anyone who pre-ordered the new iPad will receive it soon. Photo: Apple
Apple today started shipping its latest budget iPad to those who pre-ordered this tablet after it was unveiled earlier this month. It will hit Apple Store shelves later this week; Apple isn’t saying exactly when, however.
This is the first 10.2-inch iPad, and it replaces the last 9.7-inch model in Apple’s lineup.
The Easter egg features Apple’s ultra popular AirPods being used as notes in a piece of sheet music. The music represented is from Apple’s iconic “Here’s to the Crazy Ones” ad campaign, which ran shortly after Steve Jobs’ return in the late 1990s.
Apple has dropped a series of how-to videos that help you get the most out of iPadOS. You can use them to master features like Slide Over, Split View, and brand-new gestures.
Build and host beautiful websites with one set of intuitive, powerful tools. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
There are plenty of reasons to set up a website, and just as many ways to do it. But some tools and platforms have risen to the top for their reliability, quality and price. If you’re looking to set up a site, why not start with what works?
Do you have fond memories of the iPhone 4? Photo: Apple
Apple could go back to one of its most beloved iPhone designs with next year’s iPhone refresh. According to a new report from seasoned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple’s 2020 iPhone redesign will resemble the iPhone 4.
If true, that would make an already exciting upgrade even more of a must-have!
Drop in today to enjoy skill-based matchmaking for the first time. Photo: Epic Games
Skill-based matchmaking has finally arrived in Fortnite Battle Royale with today’s version 10.40 update.
The release also brings brand-new game modes and locations, big changes to controller settings, and bug fixes. But there’s one thing missing for players on iPhone and iPad.
There's stuff to like. But some banana peels too. Photo: Nintendo
It’s been a long time coming, but Mario Kart Tour has finally raced (well, maybe dawdled) into the App Store.
The free-to-play kart racing game is available to download now, although currently you can only play a New York City-based course. Other courses will roll out at a later date.
So what did we make of it? Read on for Cult of Mac’s first impressions.