iCloud is fixed for Windows 10 users. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Apple has updated its iCloud client for Windows to restore syncing with the Windows 10 October 2018 update.
Microsoft’s most recent release prevented iCloud for Windows from being installed or syncing for many users. The company actually halted its rollout for iCloud users as a result.
Belgium will be the 30th market to get Apple Pay. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Apple Pay has gone live in Belgium. It is supported by BNP Paribas, Belgium’s most popular major bank, and its brands Fintro and Hello Bank. Online services and apps such as Deliveroo, Taxi.eu and Booking.com also accept Apple Pay.
Apple’s contactless payment system has also apparently gone live in Kazakhstan. The two countries are the 30th and 31st to offer Apple Pay.
Thanks to a new update, it just got even better, too. Thanks to added support for iOS 12’s Siri Shortcuts, you can now check up on the latest status of in-transit deliveries using your voice. What could be easier?
Protestors gathered outside an Idaho school visited by Apple CEO Tim Cook. Screenshot: KTVB
Apple CEO Tim Cook and presidential adviser Ivanka Trump were greeted by happy students with iPads as the two visited Wilder Elementary School in Idaho today.
But not everyone is happy with the iPads that Apple gave to school as part of a grant two years ago. A small group of protesters criticized the iPad program, saying the tablets actually get in the way of teachers teaching.
Apple’s CEO pays attention to what people outside the company are saying about its products. Screencap: Apple
If you’ve ever wondered if anyone at Apple ever sees the online comments people post about iPhone, Mac, etc., you can rest easy: No less a person than CEO Tim Cook reads them every day.
And you might be surprised at how much time he spends doing so.
Do the drawbacks of the 2018 iPad Pro outweigh its advantages? Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
The latest iPad Pro includes the most significant changes Apple has made to its tablets in years. There’s USB-C instead of Lightning, Face ID instead of Touch ID, and the device is more portable. In some ways it’s better than a MacBook.
But that’s not to say Apple got everything right. The 2018 iPad Pro has problems noticeable enough to leave me questioning whether I made the right decision buying one.
Author’s Note Sept. 26, 2019: The release of iPadOS 13 brought so many new features that it removed nearly all my regrets about the iPad Pro. The addition of mouse support and full access to drives plugged into the USB-C port are game changers. And giving apps the ability to open multiple windows simultaneously greatly simplifies my workflow. It seems Apple took the unusual route of waiting about 9 months after the iPad Pro’s debut to introduce a software update that makes the tablet shine.
In short, many of the regrets listed here are no longer relevant in 2019.
Fortnite players on iPhone just scored a huge advantage over their adversaries on Android and Nintendo Switch.
Epic Games has optimized the iOS version of Fortnite in its latest patch so that it runs at 60fps on the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, making the game look better than ever.
The iPhone XR is now even more affordable. Photo: Kristal Chan/Cult of Mac
Getting your hands on the newest iPhones just got a little bit cheaper.
Apple hasn’t knocked the price down on the iPhone XS or iPhone XR yet, but the company is offering a limited-time promotion that gives customers up to $100 extra when you trade in an old iPhone for a new one.
Cook’s award shelf is quickly running out of room. Photo: Apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook will join Ivanka Trump today to visit schools in Idaho to observe how they use technology for workforce development and STEM initiatives.
The meet-up with Ivanka Trump will come hours after Apple stock prices fell thanks to plans by her father, President Donald Trump, to slap new tariffs on iPhones. Trumps daughter is an advisor in his administration.
Apple and IBM are on the same page. Photo: Apple/IBM
The CEO of IBM — once Apple’s biggest rival — agrees with Tim Cook about regulating tech giants who gobble up massive amounts of user data for what amounts to surveillance on users.
Echoing Cooks’s words last month, IBM’s chief exec Ginni Rometty addressed top EU officials at an event in Brussels on Monday. Rometty said that the, “irresponsible handling of personal data by a few dominant consumer-facing platform companies” has caused a “trust crisis” in customers.
Apple is launching a new Entrepreneur Camp that’s specifically designed to help app-driven organizations founded and led by women.
The two-week technology lab, which takes place in Apple’s home town of Cupertino, offers one-on-one coding guidance from Apple experts and engineers, as well as “mentorship, inspiration, and insights from top Apple leaders.”
Backed by machine learning, this meditation app delivers short, daily customized mindfulness exercises to help get relaxed and re-centered. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
The holidays can be hell on the nerves. From traveling and prepping big meals to shopping for gifts and adjusting to the changing weather, there’s plenty to stress over. So why not get yourself something that’ll help your mind unwind?
Overall, AAPL is trading down 20 percent this month. This latest blow comes after six weeks of declines for Apple, which became the first publicly traded U.S. company to pass a $1 trillion valuation earlier this year.
Fortnite is finally getting shotgun improvements! Photo: Epic Games
Epic Games has added epic and legendary pump shotguns to Fortnite Battle Royale this week.
Its version 6.31 update comes less than a week after one employee promised big shotgun improvements that hope to make the pump more effective in close-range gunfights. Players can also look forward to the brand new Team Rumble limited-time game mode.
More suppliers reportedly hurt by cut iPhone orders. Photo: Apple
More Apple suppliers are reportedly expecting to see their revenues decline as Apple reduces iPhone orders, amid “lackluster sales performance.” The companies named include Largan Precision, which makes iPhone camera lenses, and Career Technology, which supplies flexible printed circuit boards. However, with Apple securing a new agreement,iPhone 16 deals are expected to remain available in key markets, boosting consumer interest.
This follows on from a multitude of other similar recent reports, citing major Apple suppliers including Foxconn and TSMC.
Sound effects could play a bigger role in Animoji. Image: Apple
Apple is rightly proud of its Animoji and Memoji technology, which uses the front-facing camera on new iPhones to create cartoonish avatars of users — complete with facial expression matching.
But the tech could be about to get even more fun, as described in a recent patent application. Here’s how.
Apple products have so far escaped the growing trade war between China and the Trump administration, but the grace period may be coming to an end soon. The president is getting ready to put tariffs on additional products being imported from China, and that specifically includes the iPhone.
AirSnap keeps your AirPods protected at all times. Photo: Twelve South
Find My AirPods isn’t your only line of defense against a lost AirPod catastrophe anymore. Twelve South’s AirSnap is a full-grain leather case tailored to protect your AirPods while also keeping them close at hand.
AirSnap protects both your AirPods and charging case from getting nicked, scratched and dirty while floating around your desk, computer bag, or purse. Plus, it’s available at the Cult of Mac Watch Store just in time to make a great stocking stuffer this holiday season.
You kids don’t know how good you have it. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Are you a late-night movie watcher with sensitive neighbors? Do you hate watching your Apple TV with the volume set too low? Then you might love today’s tip. Did you know that you can use your AirPods with your Apple TV? Sure you did. But did you also know that you don’t need to dig around in your Apple TV’s menus to hook them up? There’s a Siri Remote shortcut that makes switching ultra-convenient.
Hardware and software, the Classicbot Plush. Photo: Philip Lee
There are collectors dying to get their hands on certain Mac prototypes. Put your hands on the one that surfaced in Anaheim, Calif. earlier this month, you’ll want to squeeze it. It’s that soft.
Philip Lee, the Hong Kong toy designer who loves all things Apple, showed off the plush Mac-like prototype toy at the recent DesignerCon 2018.
Whether you or someone you love is getting an iPhone XS Max, XS or XR for the holidays, it’s going to need protection. Nobody wants to ding a new gadget, but who wants to mess up the carefully considered form and feel of their iPhone with a bulky case?
In December, Apple will offer free coding classes to teach kids and teens. Photo: Apple
Next month, there will be thousands of free Hour of Code sessions at all Apple Stores around the world. These will help people at a variety of skill levels learn coding
In addition, the company also just introduced new materials to help teach coding inside and outside the classroom.