It seems that Fortnite is quite the money spinner. Photo: Epic Games
Fortnite may be free-to-play, but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming a well-oiled money-printing machine. According to a new report, developer Epic Games raked in an incredible $3 billion in profit this year, largely on the back of the 2018 smash hit game.
It’s easy to make you home screen more useful. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
The iPad’s home screen is a waste of space. The 4X5 grid of icons looks absurd on the 13-inch iPad Pro. In fact, the fact that you’re limited to a grid of app icons is itself absurd. Where are the live readouts from your weather app or stock ticker? Where are the actions to send a message direct to your spouse/boss without opening an app first?
Worse, because the iPad doesn’t have 3D Touch, you can’t do anything useful with those icons other than launch the app1.
Today we’ll fix that. Using a combination of shortcuts, you can add actions to your home screen, instead of apps. For instance, you can create a grid of custom icons which can email a contact, create a new blank file in your text app of choice, create a quick reminder, and so on. Check it out.
Apple’s camera team set the bar higher still with three new iPhones in 2018. But even Apple’s best gets better if paired with good mobile photography accessories.
The brands devoted to smartphone shooters don’t exactly have an easy mission. They have to enhance the iPhone photo or video experience without compromising one of its greatest features – portability.
It used to be a lot harder to cancel subscriptions. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Did you get a new iPhone or iPad for Christmas? Maybe you got all excited and signed up for a few subscriptions? And now, perhaps, you’re worried that when the free trial periods end, you’ll be stuck paying for them, and that they’ll be as impossible to cancel as an unused gym membership. No problem! Canceling subscriptions on iOS is almost as easy as signing up to them.
What was your favorite device Apple released this year? Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
It’s been one heck of a busy year for Apple, and we’ve got the devices to prove it! Truth be told, despite Apple’s shrinking share price, this has been one of the company’s best years in a while for hardware.
What was the cream of the 2018 Apple crop? Here’s how we rank Apple’s major new product launches for 2018.
For what it's worth, our iPad Pro arrived unscathed. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Apple’s former Senior Marketing Director Michael Gartenberg has chimed in on the company’s latest “bendgate,” this time related to its iPad Pro. In a recent tweet, Gartenberg said that he returned his iPad Pro after spotting a noticeable bend.
“Perhaps it was within Apple tolerances but Apple tolerances shouldn’t allow for a clear noticeble bend,” he wrote. “Much as monitors with noticeble dead pixels aren’t acceptable either.”
Surf the web in anonymity with this VPN. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Why do you need a virtual private network (VPN)? Most shoppers would tell you for security and peace of mind. Others want to get around international geoblocking restrictions. The truth is that most VPN providers worth their salt nowadays will likely cover all the most pertinent VPN needs. So it all comes down to who’s ready to give you the best price?
Watch out: there's a fake Alexa app about. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Compared to the lawless wilderness that is certain other app stores, Apple’s App Store is a well-regulated place, free from dodgy fake apps masquerading as the real thing.
Clearly someone in Cupertino got a little too merry with the egg nog recently, however, since a phony version of the Amazon Alexa app was recently granted permission to enter the App Store. It even managed to hit the #6 spot in the App Store’s utilities section over the holidays.
Apple is ramping up its investment in India. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple is expanding iPhone manufacturing in India, including building its flagship handsets, a new report claims. This will supposedly be carried out at a Foxconn plant in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
To accommodate the new manufacturing lines, Foxconn will invest an additional $356 million to expand the factory. At present, it builds phones for Xiaomi at the plant.
What defined your Apple Music listening in 2018? Photo: Apple
Want a summary of your year in Apple Music listening? A new app will help with that — although it’s not one that’s made by Apple.
Mimicking the concept behind Spotify’s yearly “Wrapped” feature, the free “Music Year in Review” app will delve into how many minutes you spent listening to your top artists on Apple Music. It will also tell you your top five songs and artists, along with your most listened genre.
Gene Munster predicts big things for Apple in 2019. Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac
Apple got a late Christmas gift on Wednesday, when its AAPL stock experienced the stock’s biggest rise in five years.
While AAPL is still down considerably from the $1 trillion+ high point it hit earlier in 2018, it’s a strong positive move. And one analyst thinks that Apple’s set to be the top-performing FAANG stock in 2019, too.
For many Apple fans, the holidays mean giving or receiving a nice new iPhone. That’s a gift worth protecting, but with the care put into even the smallest design touches, it’s not something you want to cover up in a bulky case.
iPhone XR sales in its first month were as about as strong as those of previous Apple bandsets right after their launches. Photo: Apple
The iPhone XR got off to a fairly strong start. In November, this just-launched model made up 30 percent of Apple’s U.S. sales, slightly higher than the iPhone X in Nov. 2017.
But the standout aspect of the XR’s launch is this new model drew in a higher percentage of Android fans than any Apple device in years.
Nothing feels quite as nice as booting up a brand new device for the first time. But opening up a new iPhone or Mac means reconnecting a lot of sensitive accounts and information. And nothing feels quite as annoying as spending all your time with your new device trying to remember and re-enter all your passwords for every website you visit or app you load.
Make Mac great again with one (or all!) of these top apps. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
The Mac may be way older than the iPhone and iPad, but it still has some tricks. 2018 saw some fine updates to some of our favorite Mac apps, as well as some amazing new apps that migrated across from iOS.
Also, Apple injected so much new life into a tired old macOS staple in Mojave that it’s made our top 5 list this year. Can you guess which one it is?
Learn the hows and whys of getting an engaged audience on YouTube. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
There are few more powerful platforms than YouTube for connecting with an audience and building a brand. It’s basically the new TV, with mind-boggling numbers of daily engagement. That’s a lot of eyeballs that can point at your content, so it’s worth learning how to get them.
Every mobile gamer needs to play these titles. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
The iPhone and iPad have become insanely powerful devices, with new A-series chips delivering even faster performance every year. That means mobile gaming keeps getting better and better, and 2018 had more than its fair share of groundbreaking releases.
Here’s our roundup of the best games from the past year, which features smash hits like Fortnite, as well as some lesser-known titles that every mobile gamer has to try.
New iPhone? You need new apps! Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Got a new iPhone? Then get started with these five amazing apps for your new device. Whether you’re taking photos, listening to podcasts, making notes, or just out taking a walk, we’ve got you covered.
The iPhone XR really is a great phone. Photo: Apple
In recent years, the iPhone setup process has changed as dramatically as the iPhones themselves. Apple just keeps making it easier to do. So easy, in fact, that there are just a few things you need to do to move from your old iPhone to a new one. And setting up a new iPhone XR from scratch isn’t much harder — gone are the days of manually copying passwords just to get to the home screen.
There are still a few tricks, though, that will help things run smoothly. Here’s how to set up your new iPhone XR the right way.
The iPad, home of some of the best apps in existence. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
The iPad can be so may different things. I use mine for reading, writing, making music, watching movies, and if I have any time to waste, I might play a game. The iPad is pretty much the ultimate creative tool, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t sit back and “consume” the odd “content” every once in a while.
Have your iPhone XS up and running ASAP with our setup guide. Photo: FixjeiPhone
In recent years, the iPhone setup process has changed as dramatically as the iPhones themselves. Apple just keeps making it easier to do. So easy, in fact, that there are just a few things you need to do to move from your old iPhone to a new one. And setting up a new iPhone XS from scratch isn’t much harder — gone are the days of manually copying passwords just to get to the home screen.
There are still a few tricks, though, that will help things to run smoothly. Let’s see how to upgrade to the iPhone XS.
Don’t miss out on these awesome iOS apps. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
There are almost 2 million apps available on iOS today, and yet in 2018, 10 years after the App Store opened its doors, developers continue to deliver new and unique titles that blow us away.
We’ve rounded up the very best from the past year right here. We have terrific text editors, fantastic photography apps, amazing utilities, and lots more.
Our 5 favorite apps for making the most of the holiday season. Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
The holidays are officially upon us. That means family time, festive celebrations, joyous music and an overabundance of delicious food. To help get you through the holidays, we compiled a list of the best iOS apps to make the most of the season.
Whether you’re looking for a way to provide some entertainment for the kids, hosting friends or family, or just want a way to spread some festive cheer, we’ve got your tree trimmed, so to speak.
"Hey Siri, let's see your best impression!" Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
A Baltimore-based rapper named HAZMATCAZ has taken the internet by storm. No, it’s not her ability to spit sick bars, but rather her astonishingly on-point Siri impression.
Apple's run into more problems in China. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
A number of Chinese companies are reportedly boycotting Apple as a show of support for Huawei Technologies.
The Chinese Huawei brand overtook Apple in smartphone shipments this year. Recently, its chief financial officer was arrested in Canada for allegedly violating U.S. sanctions by doing business in Iran.