Spotify is adding 2x as many monthly subscribers as Apple Music Photo: Spotify
Spotify is finally making its Family Plan more family-friendly by giving parents greater control over the music their kids can listen to.
It will soon be possible to block out explicit tracks with a password-protected setting that only parents have access to. Spotify is also adding a “Family Mix” playlist.
Apple has kicked off internal testing of Apple Arcade, putting the upcoming subscription gaming service through its paces before it launches to the public.
For the preview, Apple employees can pay 49 cents for a one-month trial. That includes access to early builds of games including Way of the Turtle, Down in Bermuda and Hot Lava.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and President Donald Trump appear to have a good working relationship. Photo: White House
During a Friday-night dinner with Donald Trump, Apple CEO Tim Cook very nearly convinced the president that import taxes planned for iPhone and other products would benefit Samsung.
Apple will pay proposed tariffs on products imported from China, while Korea-based Samsung — Cupertino’s chief competitor — will not.
The HyperDrive Power has an extra-long USB-C cable so iPad Pro users can take advantage of its many ports. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
USB-C hubs with a profusion of ports are hot now, but Sanho’s HyperDrive Power is far sleeker than any of its rivals. And it doesn’t sacrifice connectivity options for its svelte profile, offering a trio of USB-A ports, dual memory card readers, HDMI, a headphone jack and even Ethernet.
Our review involved testing all nine ports, which took a while. Read on to see if the HyperDrive Power deserves a place in your gear bag.
News! Music! Design! Productivity!! Photo: Cult of Mac
This week we turn photos into vector images with Vectornator X, compose amazing ’80s synth pop with FM Player 2, check out a new beta of an old favorite with NetNewsWire 5.0, and way more.
Ceramic Apple Watch casings are much harder than aluminum ones. The same would go for a titanium casing. Photo: Apple
Buried in the watchOS 6 beta are a couple of images showing that this fall’s Apple Watch will be apparently available with titanium and ceramic casings.
It seems early details about Apple’s 2019 wearable are finally starting to trickle out.
These great iOS 13 features fly under the radar. Cover: Marty Cortinas/Cult of Mac
Little tweaks can be a big deal. When Apple showcased the top-level changes coming soon to iPad and iPhone, these secret iOS 13 features flew below the radar. Find out why we like them — and see them in action in our video walkthrough.
Ready to land one of those high-paying data analyst jobs? Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
If you’re reading this, you’re likely well aware of the fact that data analysts are in high demand. With more companies gathering staggering amounts of information — and scrambling to leverage it in their operations — data-savvy professionals are needed to make sense of it all.
The A14 won‘t be out until 2020, but TSMC explains why it’ll be plenty fast. CGI: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Gordon Moore famously predicted back in 1965 that the number of transistors in a chip would double every 2 years. This held true for decades but there’s pessimism if it can continue.
TSMC, the company that’s produced every iPhone and iPad chip for years, disagrees. It’s loaded with optimism about the future of processor design.
Published in 39 languages, Shantaram sold 6 million copies. Photo: St. Martin's Griffin
Apple TV+ series Shantaram, about an Aussie bank robber who becomes a gangster in the slums of Mumbai, will start filming in Australia this October.
The 10-episode series is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Gregory David Roberts. If the show is anything like the book, Shantaram will combine nail-biting action with stunning scenery and thought-provoking philosophy.
That’s a whole lot to cram into 10 episodes. But a few key players stepped up to make one of Apple’s first international productions a reality.
An analysts’ note makes a rare mention of Apple Watch Series 5. Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac
An updated Apple Watch could launch as early as next month but almost nothing has leaked out about it so far. That makes a reputable analyst’s prediction that struggling Japan Display could make OLED screens for Apple Watch Series 5 something worth taking note of.
Director Martin Scorsese can count on Siri. Even more so than in the past. Photo: Apple
Siri doesn’t have all the answers, but Apple’s digital assistant continues to get smarter.
Loup Ventures fires 800 questions at the leading digital assistants for its twice-a-year IQ Test to measure the practical use of voice as a means of computing input on smartphones. They are all improving, but not at the same rate.
Coming soon to an iPhone near you. Photo: The Pokémon Company
The folks at The Pokémon Company are sure taking the “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” catchphrase to heart — at least when it comes to hooking preorders for its latest mobile game.
With two weeks to go until Pokémon Masters launches on iOS and Android, the game already racked up 5 million preorders.
This sturdy stand can turn any desk or tabletop into an adjustable standing desk. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Many of us spend tons of time at the computer. That’s bad for your neck, back, wrists — pretty much every part of your body — so it’s no wonder standing desks are catching on. Unfortunately, they often prove super-expensive. However, there’s another way.
Some big changes may be coming to iPhone... Photo: Apple
This week on The CultCast: A Foxconn insider spills big iPhone 11 secrets. Plus: the pros and cons of Apple Card, and Apple’s new maps start rolling out across the country. And finally, a strange twist in the MoviePass story unveils the unbelievable shenanigans the company pulled to stayed in business — and they are far worse than we ever imagined!
Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain..
Huawei this week delayed its first foldable smartphone … again. The Chinese company says there is “no possibility” of the Mate X making its debut in September.
The exciting new handset was originally scheduled to launch in June. Huawei pushed back its launch and admitted it was taking a “cautious” approach after Samsung’s struggled with the Fold.
Pre-orders started this week. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
18 months after it first went on sale in the U.S., Apple’s HomePod speaker is finally launching in Japan.
Having teased that it would launch sometime this summer, Apple has now revealed that HomePod will be available to buy August 23. The Siri-powered device opened for pre-orders this week.
Company that ported iOS to browsers hits back at Apple Image: Corellium
Apple is suing Corellium, a company founded by former iPhone jailbreakers whose product lets users run iOS firmware in a web browser.
“There is no basis for Corellium to be selling a product that allows the creation of avowedly perfect replicas of Apple’s devices to anyone willing to pay,” Apple’s lawyers argue in the suit.
Employees at Finisar in Texas will soon start shipping to Apple lasers used in Face ID. Photo: Apple
Directly or indirectly, Apple is responsible for 2.4 million American jobs. The company says 450,000 of these are at the thousands of US companies that supply components for Apple computers, phones and tablets.
iOS 13 might show when the iPhone 11 Pro will be unveiled. Photo: iHelp BRM/Cult of Mac
Developers hunting through the just-released iOS 13 beta apparently found a reference to the exact date Apple will introduce the next iPhone. A screenshot, labeled “hold for release” and buried in the beta, has a date on it: September 10.
Switch off those pesky Apple Card notifications Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Are you enjoying your new Apple Card? Isn’t running up debt great when it is accompanied by a titanium card and a stylish app? But what you might not be enjoying are the Apple Card notifications that started to pop up on your iPhone.
Here’s how to stop them. But beware: It’s an all-or-nothing proposition that clearly illustrates an annoying problem with iPhone notifications.
The DottedSign e-sign service boasts a friendly UI for people who rely on smart devices and travel a lot. Image: Kdan Mobile
This post is presented by Kdan Mobile.
Keeping everyone in a team on the same page is complicated on paper and in the cloud. For startups, small- to medium-size businesses and even individual freelancers, staying on top of contracts while on the move can prove overwhelming.
That’s why a good electronic signature service can be a powerful ally for any digital pro. A new e-sign service, DottedSign, just launched for iOS, Android and web. It’s a complete system of e-signature solutions that expedite your business flow with a legal and secure signing process.
Apple has made great strides in debugging iOS 13. Screenshot: Apple
Apple just seeded the seventh Developer beta of the next iOS and iPadOS version. This is the latest stage of a debugging process expected to end in September.
UPDATE: iOS 13 Public beta 6 just launched as well, so anyone who wants to try this new version can. The same goes for iPadOS Public beta 6.