Apple is working to make iPhones and iPad screens a bit less scratchable. That’s according to a recently filed patent application, describing a new “Nanoparticle Protective Coatings” invented by Cupertino engineers.
It refers to a protective coating that, Apple claims, will stop iOS devices from scratching or suffering display fractures from drops.
The Apple Watch’s heart monitoring tech has apparently helped identify a heart condition in yet another user, as shared on Reddit over the weekend.
User ClockworkWXVII wrote that his Apple Watch led to him being diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). This is a heart condition which causes a rapid heartbeat. It is caused by faulty electrical signals in the heart that originate above the heart’s lower chambers.
Knowledge workers of the world, listen up! Logitech wants to solve your headphone problem. Actually, make that your headphones problem: The upcoming Logitech Wireless Zone headphones could replace the three types of headsets currently cluttering your desk in that oh-so-trendy open office.
Logitech’s pitch is that Zone Wireless will free you from juggling your omnipresent earbuds, the cushy noise-canceling headphones you brought from home, and that ugly headset your company’s IT department burdened you with.
Netflix has explained why it stopped supporting AirPlay video casting in its iOS app. The change is a result of the new TVs with built-in AirPlay support being released, and apparently not in retaliation for the recent announcement of Apple TV+, a rival streaming service.
Deciding now that an folding iPhone is a terrible idea is premature. There just isn’t enough information yet to judge whether any such device is something you’ll want. And it’s betting against Apple’s history of success in areas where others have failed.
While the first foldable devices from other companies have serious flaws, that in no way means any eventual Apple device with a flexible screen will be equally bad. There’s actually plenty of reason to think it won’t.
This week we edit photos with AI using Pixelmator Photo, secure our internet with Cloudflare Warp, and enjoy an AI-picked list of our favorite new podcast episodes with Castro Top Picks. And that’s just the beginning.
We’ve all got old DVDs gathering dust, even if we don’t have a DVD player. But that doesn’t make them useless, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t still be able to enjoy them in the age of mobile devices and streaming.
This post was going to be part of my new book, Tim Cook: The Genius Who Took Apple to the Next Level, but was cut for length or continuity. Over the next week or so, we will be publishing several more sections that were cut, focusing mostly on Apple’s manufacturing operations.
This is Part 2 of a two-part section on Apple’s misadventures in manufacturing. Part I is here.
Steve Jobs carried his dream of end-to-end control over manufacturing to NeXT, the company that Jobs founded after being booted out of Apple in 1985. It was here that he learned a tough lesson about manufacturing: that sometimes it’s more trouble than it is worth. Or, perhaps more kindly, that great manufacturing capabilities mean nothing if you don’t have a product people want to buy.
You can no longer stream Netflix programs from your iPhone to a big-screen TV via AirPlay.
This feature, which has been available for many years, disappeared just a few days after the announcement of Apple TV+, a rival streaming service. The timing has brought accusations that Netflix stripped out AirPlay in retaliation.
Update: Netflix has released a statement explaining why it pulled this feature out of its app. To learn more, please read Netflix says it ended AirPlay support to benefit customers.
Apple is exploring charging cables that attach to its devices with magnets. This is highly reminiscent of its discontinued MagSafe system.
Previously, this was a great way to keep MacBooks from being accidentally damaged but Apple stopped using it during the company’s transition to USB-C.
Apple admits that some people experience serious MacBook keyboard problems. So, what are you going to do about it? We’ve got a theory about what might be causing the failures, as well as some tips that could help you deal with stuck MacBook keys (and maybe avoid them altogether).
Even if you don’t have one of the problematic MacBooks, grab this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine for iOS. You’ll get a handful of other helpful how-tos for anybody in the Apple ecosystem. Plus, an AirPower postmortem, the latest iPhone rumors, reviews of various Apple accessories and more.
Download the free app now, or hit the links below to read the week’s best stories in your browser. And don’t miss your last chance to enter to win a free copy of iMazing.
This post was going to be part of my new book, Tim Cook: The Genius Who Took Apple to the Next Level, but was cut for length. Over the next week or so, we will be publishing several more sections that were cut, focusing mostly on Apple’s manufacturing operations.
Steve Jobs always had a deep fascination with automated factories. He was first exposed to them during a trip to Japan in 1983. At the time, Apple had just created a new floppy disk drive called Twiggy. During a visit to Apple’s factory in San Jose, however, Jobs became irate when he discovered the high failure rate of Twiggy drives Apple was producing. More than half of them were rejected. Jobs threatened to fire everyone who worked at the factory
The death of iTunes might finally be on the horizon. Or, at least, the downsizing of iTunes certainly seems to be.
iOS developer Steve Troughton-Smith revealed today that he unearthed evidence about Apple’s plans to make separate apps for Music, Podcasts and Books. iTunes slowly morphed into a bloated beast over the last decade, so paring down the app would be welcomed by Mac users. But Troughton-Smith warns not to get your hopes up too high just yet.
Mac gamers can finally add more horsepower to their Mac without breaking the bank on an expensive external GPU.
Sonnet unveiled its new eGFX Breakaway Puck today that packs Radeon RX 560 graphics for just $400. This is the cheapest eGPUs we’ve seen yet, making it perfect for MacBook owners that are hampered by the machines’ weak internals.
The Braven BRV-105 can go anywhere and survive whatever you can. This palm-size speaker is waterproof and rugged without being too bulky. Attach it to your bike or belt and listen to music wherever you go without headphones.
We fully tested this Bluetooth accessory, so don’t miss our review.
The Photos app’s Faces feature is fantastic. It does a pretty good job of gathering all the pictures of a person together, for both browsing and search. And it’s really easy to add new faces to the list. But what about managing those faces? What if the Photos app’s AI added some photos of a stranger into the photos of your husband?
It’s easy to tell your iPhone or iPad that a photo does not contain the person it thinks it does. Unfortunately, it’s a real pain to find the setting you need to tweak.
More Americans pay to listen to Apple Music than Spotify. The Swedish company had been ahead since the iPhone maker got into the streaming music business back in 2015, but Apple finally closed the gap. And its growth is continuing to outpace its rival in the US.
Spotify still has many more paid subscribers globally, however.,
Cuba’s vibrant surfer culture is the star of Apple’s latest ‘Shot on iPhone’ short film. The new five minute video shows how Cubans connect with nature through surfing, even though good boards are hard to come by.
Packed with tons of gorgeous underwater shots and beautiful visuals of everyday life, ‘Ola Cubana’ will have you ready to quit life to go shred some waves on a tropical island.
“It’s a lifestyle, surf,” explains one of the guys in the film. “It brings us peace. We release energy. We have contact with nature. It has greatly improved my life.”
Come catch the vibe:
At this point, we all know the MacBook’s butterfly keyboard can prove problematic. Apple recently admitted the problem is real — and even issued a rare apology.
Anecdotally, pretty much every MacBook owner I know has experienced keys sticking or repeating at one time or another. But occasionally I meet someone who seems blessed with a faultless MacBook keyboard. And Apple claims the problem only affects a small number of MacBook users.
So what is going on? I have a theory — and a tip that might keep your MacBook’s keyboard from crapping out if it hasn’t already.
Qualcomm is still prepared to supply Apple with 5G modems for a future iPhone — despite an ongoing legal battle between the two companies.
Reports have indicated Apple may be struggling to secure 5G modems from Intel and other vendors for a 2020 refresh. But Qualcomm president Cristiano Amon says, “if they call, we’ll support them.”
There have, unfortunately, been plenty of scams involving stolen or misappropriated Apple products due to their high resale value.
However, few clock up the kind of quantities revealed in a report about a five-year scam. It involved an accounting manager for a software company. Over several years, Nadia Minetto spent upward of $6 million on iPhones and iPads using a company credit card. These Apple devices were then sold, before Minetto was ultimately caught.
You could safely assume that computer hackers and people who knit have little to talk about. One activity is clearly analog and seemingly old-fashioned while the other pre-occupies the mind of a tech geek.
Fabienne Serriere blows up that assumption by being both. She combines the two rather different activities to make eye-catching scarves imprinted with Mac ROM code.
If you want in on wireless charging, buying a Qi-enabled device like an iPhone X is just the start. You also need a wireless charging pad (and no, you’re not getting an AirPower.).
Why not go with one that’s affordable, low-profile and portable? (And that actually exists, for that matter.)
Tactical, turn-based role-playing game Fire Emblem Heroes has been a massive hit for Nintendo on iOS. And now we know what’s it’s got in store next.
In a YouTube video update, Nintendo shared some of the big new features for the game. These include a new Arena mode, a Pair Up mechanic, and much, more.
This week on The CultCast: The death of AirPower — the real problem that no one is talking about. Plus: 2019 iPhone rumors point to some wildly useful new features; more evidence the 2018 MacBook, Air and Pro keyboards are still having problems. And we wrap up with a review of Leander’s favorite wireless charging mat, Lewis’ take on the new AirPods 2, and Erfon’s got a favorite new podcasting gadget on an all-new Under Review.
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..