Bluetooth is the way personal audio works these days. But there are so many variations on the wireless theme, it can be hard to know where to start. So we’ve rounded up some of the best deals on the coolest Bluetooth audio gear. Bone conduction earphones, noise cancelling headphones, and other top shelf gear is here for bottom dollar prices. Read on for more details:
ITC judge partially rules against Apple but won’t order iPhone import ban
A judge with the International Trade Commission ruled that iPhone models infringe on a Qualcomm patent. However, he declined Qualcomm’s request to ban the import of the infringing devices into the U.S.
The judge also said the iPhone doesn’t infringe on two other patents owned by the chip maker.
Apple goes big in whimsical new iPhone XS Max ad
Everything is big when you own an iPhone XS Max, based on the latest ad Apple put out today about its new phone.
The whimsical new ad called “Growth Spurt” imagines a world where anything viewed through the iPhone XS Max’s 6.5-inch display instantly becomes larger than life. Cats, golf balls, even babies aren’t safe from the iPhone XS Max’s amazing powers.
Brace yourself for the embiggening:
Sprint admits its 4G LTE coverage is terrible
Any iPhone user who wants wide access to 4G LTE should avoid Sprint like the plague. The carrier reportedly produced a series of maps comparing its coverage area to those of its top three competitors, and Sprint loses by a wide margin in all of them.
But the company’s management hasn’t lost their minds. There’s a good reason why this wireless service provider is going out of its way to look terrible.
Google pays $9 billion to stay the default iPhone search engine
Google is the default iPhone search engine in the Safari web browser, but not because Apple thinks it’s the best option. No, Google will pay $9 billion this year for the privilege, according to an analyst’s estimate.
And the amount could be much higher next year.
Beautygate: Apple might ‘fix’ iPhone XS selfie camera
The selfie camera on the iPhone XS may soon return your sudden good looks back to your old face. Apple is reportedly working to dial back some of the effects from its front-facing camera after several complaints of unnatural skin hue, glow, and smoothness.
Shortly after the iPhone XS and XS Max got into the hands of eager upgraders one week ago, users took to Twitter, Reddit and YouTube about their experiences with the front-facing camera.
Appeals court reverses $234 million patent-infringement ruling against Apple
An appeals court just reversed the 2015 decision against Apple made in a patent-infringement lawsuit brought by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The original court ruled that the iPhone-maker owed the university $234 million for infringing on patented microchip technology in the iPhone and iPad.
Spotify asks family plan subscribers to prove they are family
Spotify’s family plan makes it cheaper for multiple users to enjoy its premium music streaming service. But don’t try sharing it with friends.
Spotify is now asking family plan subscribers to prove they are indeed family by confirming they all live at the same address. “If you don’t confirm, you may lose access to the plan,” it warns.
Ex-Apple engineer wants a piece of Find My iPhone
The former Apple engineer who worked on Apple’s “Find my iPhone” feature is suing the company to get them to acknowledge his role as inventor, and to compensate him for unfair dismissal.
Engineer Darren Eastman wants his name to be added to five Apple patent applications. He also wants Apple shares he claims were taken from him unfairly, plus damages.
Apple hires more series regular for its Dickinson TV show
Apple continues to pad out the cast for its Dickinson series, a comedic look at the world of 19th century poet Emily Dickinson.
Joining current cast members Hailee Steinfeld and Jane Krakowski will be Toby Huss from Nickelodeon’s The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Anna Baryshnikov from Manchester by the Sea, Ella Hunt from Anna and the Apocalypse, and Adrian Blake Enscoe from Seeds.
Score 5,000 vector icons perfect for all kinds of design projects [Deals]
Whether you’re building an app or designing a site, icons are key to creating a clear interface. Unless you’re a graphic designer, you’ll have to hire one or get access to an asset library. Either way, that’s expensive, but not with this deal from Icon54.
Catch our first-week impressions of Apple Watch 4 and iPhone XS Max, this week on The CultCast
This week on The CultCast: Beautygate — what it is, and why it’s undoubtedly the dumbest “gate” in the history of iPhone! Plus: How have we liked our first week with Apple Watch 4 and iPhone XS? We reveal all. And the shockingly low production price of the iPhone XS Max proves Apple owes us more storage space!
Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace website. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first hosting plan or domain.
17 people now in custody for Apple Store robberies
The number of people arrested for playing a part in the spate of snatch-and-grab Apple Store robberies throughout California has risen to 17.
Investigators claim that a crime ring was responsible for the robberies, which took place in 19 counties, resulting in more than $1 million in retail value of devices being stolen.
Fortnite challenge guide for season 6, week 1
Fortnite season six kicked off on Thursday with massive changes, including new areas to explore across the Battle Royale map, new items, and more than 100 new rewards.
To earn those rewards faster, you’ll want to complete the weekly challenges and grab as many Battle Stars as you can. A total of 50 are available. Here’s how you can claim them.
Addictive new iOS game is all about … throwing strips of bacon?
A game where you flip bacon through the air doesn’t sound, on paper, like it should be a winner. But when it comes from Philipp Stollenmayer, the app developer who previously created the brilliant Sometimes You Die, things become a whole lot more interesting.
Check out the trailer for the third part in Stollenmayer’s food game trilogy below. If you’re looking for a fun (albeit offbeat) game for the weekend, this could be the one for you!
Android app maker upset at Apple over its use of ‘Memoji’ name
iOS 12’s Memojis — Animoji-style avatars which look like the user, rather than talking poop emojis or animals — are a cool feature that sets Apple apart from some of its Android rivals.
But according to a new lawsuit, the Memoji trademark actually came from an Android app with the same name.
watchOS 5.0.1 kills Apple Watch charging bug
Apple Watch just got a major operating system upgrade last week and there’s already a “bug fix” update.
Most of the issues watchOS 5.0.1 deals with seem fairly minor, but at least one of them is important enough to rush out this update.
Steve Jobs’ ad guru calls iPhone names ‘a war against common sense’
Apple’s decision to name its new flagship product the “iPhone XS Max” has drawn criticism. But none so harsh as from Ken Segall, who worked closely with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs on marketing for over a decade.
He says he feels “a sense of dread” before every iPhone press event because “when it comes to iPhone naming, Apple seems to wage a war against common sense.”
Group FaceTime returns in first macOS 10.14.1 public beta
macOS 10.14 Mojave is still very new, but Apple isn’t resting on its laurels. It has already released the first public beta of a significant update.
Version 10.14.1 isn’t just bug fixes; it’s the first with Group FaceTime, a feature Apple has been promising since early summer.
iPhone XR gets go-ahead for October launch
The iPhone XR has been cleared for takeoff by the FCC.
Apple’s budget-friendly phone received the FCC’s official stamp of approval this morning, allowing the company to go-ahead with its plans to start taking pre-orders for the iPhone XR on October 19.
How to create your first Siri Shortcut
Shortcuts is the hot new feature of iOS 12. The Shortcuts app lets you automate some crazy stuff, for instance this shortcut that activates the iPhone’s camera and sends an SMS if the cops pull you over. Thanks to Apple’s terminology, Shortcuts is a little confusing. Is it an automation tool? Does it have something to do with Siri? Why would you use it?
We’ll answer these questions, and then build an awesome shortcut so you can see how the app works.
Totallee’s thin, clear cases are the perfect match for iPhone XS Max, XS and XR
This post is presented by Totallee.
Ready to snag one of the new iPhones that Apple just unveiled? The new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR are sleek, sexy and pricey, so you’re going to want to properly protect them.
Logic Pro X and MainStage 3 get updated with tons of new tweaks
Apple’s professional audio editing software, Logic Pro X, got a sizeable update today, bringing a host of new features to make editing and mixing music even easier.
Logic Pro X version 10.4.2 now allows users to save space on their Mac’s hard drive by relocating the Sound Library to external storage. There’s also a ton of performance fixes as well as tons of tweaks aimed at making editing faster.
Shocker! Clever kids find ways around Screen Time restrictions
iOS 12’s Screen Time feature lets parents monitor and limit how much time their children spend on their iPhone and iPad. It should surprise no one that smart kids with lots of free time have found ways to circumvent the limits.
This is only the first version of Screen Time, and Apple will likely close these loopholes in future updates.
$15,000 gold iPhone XS Max will break your bank account
Sometimes it feels like a person needs to be a Russian oligarch to afford an iPhone. And that’s the likely customer of an iPhone XS Max adorned with a back panel completely covered in pure gold.
It’s for sale by the aptly named Russian luxury brand Caviar for $15,340.