Looking to be the very best, like no-one ever was? Photo: The Pokémon Company
The eagerly anticipated iOS game Pokémon Masters has arrived in the App Store a few hours ahead of schedule.
Having racked up more than 5 million preorders, the real-time Pokémon battle game is now ready for gamers everywhere. Complete with classic trainers like Misty and Brock.
Buy one of these eye-catching bands, get a second at half off! Photos: Clessant
Still wearing the same old band that came with your Apple Watch? Booooorring! Switch things up with this great deal on classy Apple Watch bands from Clessant.
Right now, when you buy any Clessant band, you get a second one of equal or lesser value at 50% off. But if you want to take advantage of this deal, you’d better act fast. This sale ends at 11:59 p.m. Pacific on Friday, August 30, 2019.
Encrypting your disk is way safer than trying to 'secure' erase it. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
In the olden days, when you wanted to replace your hard drive with a bigger one, you’d run a “secure erase” on it to completely remove any personal data. This would write zeros to the entire disk, overwriting anything already there.
But now, thanks to advances in storage tech, this no longer does the trick. (Not that you can change your own Mac SSDs now anyway.) The new secure-erase, says Apple, is to just encrypt your disk.
Right now, buying an iPhone in India requires going through a third-party retailer. Not for much longer, though. Photo: Apple
Apple may have finally succeeded in its long, long quest to be allowed to sell its products directly in India. Until now, the company has been forced to go through third-party resellers, but the Indian government today changed the rule that was hobbling Apple.
Being able to deal directly with the public might increase Apple’s poor sales of iPhones in this huge market.
Processing 4K video doesn't have to take forever. Image: Digiarty
This post is presented by Digiarty.
Macs are mighty machines, but if you work with video, you discover their limitations pretty quickly. And if you’re thinking a decked-out Mac Pro or other powerhouse computer might be the answer, you’re talking prices that rival down payments on a car or even a house. The best (and most affordable) answer might be to get better video processing software.
Dark Mode is on the way to a swath of Microsoft software for iOS and iPadOS. Photo: Microsoft
Microsoft just brought Dark Mode to Outlook for iOS. And this is just the start of giving many more applications in the Microsoft 365 product suite this feature, which puts white text on a black background.
iOS 13.1 beta 1 brings back almost every cool feature dropped from previous betas. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Surprisingly, iOS 13.1 is already in beta. It looks like Apple’s release strategy this year is to freeze the current beta version of iOS 13.0 in order to get it ready for the new iPhones expected on September 10. Meanwhile, Apple continues to test the next version, adding back some features removed during the beta period — Shortcuts automations, for example.
So, what other new (or revived) features will you find in iOS 13.1 beta 1?
Going forward, no one will listen to what you say to Siri unless you approve it. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
A revamp of Apple’s program that had people monitoring Siri voice commands for quality control will soon ask users to opt-in first, and only Apple employees will be listening.
“We realize we haven’t been fully living up to our high ideals, and for that we apologize,” the company said in a statement.
Anyone thinking of switching their iPhone to T-Mobile can try the service out for free. Photo: T-Mobile
T-Mobile is so eager to get people to try its network, the company is giving away wireless hotspots. These are good for a month or 30GB of data, and are intended to let potential customers see how well T-Mobile service works at their home, office or school.
This telecom has a bad reputation as being mostly available only in big cities. This promotion seems intended to overcome that.
Probably best not to take this on your travels. Photo: Apple
Qantas Airways, Australia’s largest airline by fleet size, has joined Virgin Australia in banning certain MacBooks from checked luggage.
Virgin announced its decision yesterday, citing fears that the laptop batteries could catch fire. Other airlines to also ban the laptop include Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration also reminded laptop owners not to bring on board products with recalled batteries, including Apple’s. Now Qantas is following suit.
It looks like the greatest Sega Saturn game the Saturn never got. Photo: Motion Twin
Motion Twin’s celebrated game Dead Cells has finally landed on the App Store. In the process, it gives iPhone and iPad gamers the chance to play one of the most fun indie releases of recent times.
For the uninitiated, Dead Cells combines Castlevania-inspired side-scrolling action with some beautiful graphics and terrific gameplay. The results are an undisputed “must download.” Check out the trailer below.
Get down and dirty with the many dimensions of data in this massive bundle of courses. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Since the world runs on data these days, learning to work with it is a surefire way to boost anyone’s professional prospects. Ready to master the mysteries of big data? This comprehensive bundle of educational courses will prove invaluable.
Check out that stunning ocean-inspired roof! Photo: Foster + Partners
One of the best things about Apple Store design is how Apple’s architects find ways to embrace local design elements, while still making the stores feel connected to one another.
The latest example of this is the stunning Foster + Partners design for the new Apple Aventura store in Miami, Florida. The most notable aspect of the store’s design is its undulating vaulted roof. This was intended to represent the city’s nautical history.
AirPods aren't good enough to get Consumer Reports' official recommendation. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple’s AirPods are some of the top-selling earphones of all time. But according to Consumer Reports, they have a problem: “They just don’t sound great.”
In a series of tests, the consumer testing group pits the second-gen AirPods against Samsung’s Galaxy Buds. And, spoiler alert, their conclusions don’t come down in Cupertino’s favor.
In an interview with Bloomberg Technology, Woz said that he wishes Apple had elected to break up its core business years ago. For the good of everyone.
"And then I think I'll buy 7 iPhone XS Max units... and a mansion... and a private jet." Photo: The David Rubenstein Show: Peer to Peer
Apple hit all its performance expectations this year — and CEO Tim Cook is being rewarded for that achievement.
According to a new Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, Cook has been awarded 560,000 restricted stock options. At present market prices, that equals around $115 million. Not a bad payday!
Microsoft’s dual-screen concept device might resemble this one Intel demoed at Computex 2019. Photo: Intel
Microsoft might take on the iPad and MacBook simultaneously if a semi-secret folding tablet is unveiled at a press event this fall.
The company just sent out invitations to an October event, and speculation is running high that the dual-screen “Centaurus” will be the star, along with refreshed versions of other Surface computers.
Avoid selling your old Apple Watch to Apple. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
With big discounts to be had on Apple Watch Series 4, it’s an ideal time to upgrade — and sell off your old model.
It might seem like a relic now, but it’s probably still worth a small fortune — if you sell it properly. Here’s how to get the best price for your old Apple Watch and ensure you get paid fast.
Contrary to what every schoolteacher told you, pockets are for hands. Photo: WaterField Designs
That’s it, I’m calling it. 2019 is officially the year that men’s pockets become obsolete. Women have had to do without pockets on their pants since, well, since women were finally granted the right to wear pants in 1946, after a year of post-war protests. They then had to wait until the late 1970s before the federal ban on pockets was finally lifted. But by then, no manufacturer was brave enough to take on the powerful anti-pocket lobby.
If only women had had access to the WaterField Designs’ new Marqui Crossbody Pouch, history might have been quite different.
It’s safe to say that most of us could do with a little less screen time. In our daily lives, it’s easy to lose track of the cumulative staring that takes place. That’s a particular problem when we’re traveling — after all, the more time spent on your phone, the less time spent in the moment.
iOS 13 isn’t expected for weeks and Apple is already testing iOS 13.1 Developer beta 1. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The slow slog toward the release of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 took an unexpected twist today: Apple just introduced the first betas of the followup versions.
The debut of prerelease versions of iOS 13.1 and iPadOS 13.1 would seem to indicate that Apple has already finished development of the versions that’ll debut next month.
Keeping your Apple Wallet passes as souvenirs? Don't bother. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
My real wallet is a shrine to minimalism. A bit of cash, a few cards, and zero old receipts or spent metro tickets. I keep it slimline, even with the aggressively European coin pocket included therein. My Apple Wallet, on the other hand, is as cluttered as the horizontal surfaces in my mother’s house, covered as they are with crystal animals, photo frames and lace doilies.
The problem is twofold. First, Apple Wallet never gets thicker, no matter how many cinema tickets and boarding passes you stuff in there. Second, how do you remove all those passes anyway? One at a time, with a swipe and a tap and a confirmation for each? No thanks.
With this mobile hotpot, a Mac or iPad can connect to Sprint 5G today. Photo: HTC
Although Sprint could soon be swallowed by T-Mobile, the telecom is nevertheless aggressively rolling out 5G service. Its cutting-edge network is up and running in nine cities, and the carrier promises this is up to 6X faster than its LTE service.
Sprint offers a 5G mobile hotspot that can bring much faster access to Macs and iPads day.
Spotlight is a lot smarter than it used to be. Screenshot: Cult of Mac
Using Spotlight to ask a basic question now sometimes gets a direct answer, not just a link to a website. This new feature makes this search engine built into iOS and macOS considerably more useful.