Upgraded AirPods are on the way in early 2019, with a total redesign scheduled for 2020. At least, that’s according to reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a new note to clients.
Kuo claims that the big improvement for next year’s AirPods will be the addition of wireless charging support. This is most likely the wireless charging case that Apple first announced back in September 2017, alongside its still MIA AirPower charging mat.
This week we check on our parcel deliveries by asking Siri, we shine a light on meditative iOS gaming, and reinvent the phone call with Flash.
For many Mac users, there’s a distinct line between local and cloud storage. But we rely on both to get our work done and keep our data secure and tidy. So why shouldn’t both be accessible straight from the desktop?
Apple is a company with a social conscience, and it’s using its high profile to bring attention to the fight against HIV/AIDS. As part of this, Apple logos at its retail locations around the word went red to observe World AIDS Day.
But that’s just the start. From today through Dec. 7, checking out with Apple Pay in the Apple Store will donate $1 to fighting this epidemic.
The new iPad Pro packs enough power to challenge the Mac. It also costs enough to cause some serious contemplation for anybody worried about pocketbook pain.
We tackle the subject from several sides in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Get your free issue on iTunes now. Or keep reading for the week’s best Apple news, reviews and how-tos.
Knowing which apps to get can be pretty overwhelming, and the good ones can be expensive. Luckily, the subscription model that makes content easier and more affordable now extends to apps.
Apple today made an anti-spam application developed by the Indian government available on that country’s version of its App Store. The software is designed to help prevent an avalanche of commercial phone calls and texts, but Apple had previously expressed concerns that it revealed too much information about users to the government.
The version of TRAI DND – Do Not Disturb just approved appears to deal with Apple’s concerns.
Apple puts the iPhone’s low-light shooting capabilities on full display in a new “Shot on iPhone” ad that gives viewers a glimpse inside Japan’s decotora truck craze.
The incredible new video follows Kazuya Sekino, creator of Lady Misaki, a decorated truck with hundreds of LED lights. Apple’s trippy two-minute ad showcases the art of Japan’s many decotora trucks. It also highlights all the good things they do for the community.
Get ready to go for a ride!
My friend Tyler is a world traveler. Tyler has a favorite game he likes to play on his iPhone. When he’s in a busy area like an airport, he likes to AirDrop a picture of his naked ass next to a waterfall to unspecting iPhone users.
The photo is fairly harmless and usually draws some laughs. But the next time Tyler flies through New York City, his favorite game could earn him some jailtime thanks to a newly proposed law that would make it illegal to send sexually explicit images to anyone that doesn’t want to received them (which is pretty much everyone).
Safari for iOS has a great feature: Quick Website Search. This lets you search the contents of a single website, using that site’s own built-in search. The clever part is that you don’t have to visit the site and tap into its search bar. Once Safari learns how to search that site, you can search it right from Safari’s own search bar.
Google and Samsung have smartphones many critics say are as good or better than the latest iPhones.
But making a device to rival Apple’s isn’t the hard part. Getting iPhone users to switch is.
Google acknowledges this in a series of video ads launched this week to convince brand loyalists to switch to its newest and well-reviewed flagship, the Pixel 3.
Every version of Pokémon is about players using pocket monsters to battle other trainers. Well, every version except Pokémon Go, which conspicuously lacks the capability to let you go head-to-head with another player.
Game developer Niantic promised this feature would arrive before the end of the year. The company suggested today that the wait is almost over.
Smart watches are currently the most popular form of wearable, but ear-worn devices are expected to replace them in the coming years. The changeover will take place as AirPods and similar products gain additional features that people now get from Apple Watch and iPhone.
In less than five years, so-called “hearables” could outsell every other type of wearable by a wide margin.
Fortnite’s account merging tool has been delayed until 2019, Epic Games confirmed today.
The feature, which will allow players to combine two accounts into one, was supposed to arrive in November. It has been held back as a result of “ongoing technical concerns.”
Apple Watch buyers will be granted an extended return period if they decide to return their wearable for reasons related to upcoming heart health features.
Apple usually gives shoppers 14 days to return a purchase, but an internal document reveals that some will have up to 45 days to return a Watch — as long as it’s for the right reasons.
You no longer have to expose your Instagram Stories to every single follower. A new feature, which goes live today after 17 months of testing, lets users share only with their closest friends.
Here’s how the Close Friends list works on iOS.
Bethesda Softworks’ The Elder Scrolls: Blades may look stunning — but you’re going to have to wait a bit longer to play the highly anticipated iOS game.
According to a new tweet sent out by the game’s developers, the free-to-play RPG set in the Elder Scrolls universe has been pushed back to 2019. Originally, Bethesda planned to release it this fall.
As the tech stacks up – smartphone, earbuds, smartwatch – the desk gets more cluttered with chargers. So it’s nice to know that you can cut the cables for all your charging needs with one sleek dock.
This week on The CultCast: We tell you how iPhone’s Smart HDR takes pics better than cameras costing thousands, and how a proper Apple Camera would be positively unstoppable. Plus: The Supreme Court may force Apple to allow competing app stores; proposed tariffs on the iPhone could send prices sky-high; and Apple says the XR is one of the best-selling iPhones ever.
Our thanks to LinkedIn for supporting this episode. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters. Head to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post.
Apple Music has reportedly hit 56 million subscribers, an increase on the 50 million that Apple CEO Tim Cook announced back in May.
The figure comes from a new Financial Times article, regarding Apple’s plans to potentially get its Beats 1 station on terrestrial radio.
Apple has quietly added some new iPhone XS cases and Apple Watch bands to its Online Store.
Its silicone cases and sport bands now come in hibiscus, mellow yellow, and pacific green. Apple has also added the celestial teal, olive flak, and smokey mauve Nike Sport bands that were made available through nike.com earlier this month.
In an early Christmas present to Apple fans with an Amazon Echo, Apple Music is coming to Amazon’s line of smart speakers next month. Apple Music will be available as an option on Echo devices starting December 17.
“Music is one of the most popular features on Alexa,” said Dave Limp, senior vice president of Amazon Devices. “We’re thrilled to bring Apple Music – one of the most popular music services in the U.S. – to Echo customers this holiday.”
Apple’s proposed flagship Apple Store in Melbourne, Australia’s Federation Square has been pushed back at least a year. Work was originally scheduled to start in early 2019. However, now it won’t begin until 2020 — with the eventual opening taking place in 2021.
If it even happens at all, that is.
The days of Apple Pay not being accepted at Target could be coming to an end. According to a number of users on Twitter, the Target store in San Francisco is currently accepting Apple Pay purchases.
While this has yet to be rolled out to Target’s other 1,821 stores, this suggests the company may be changing its stance on Apple’s mobile payment service.
Apple continues to remove third-party applications from the Chinese version of the App Store for violating its terms of service. It reportedly removed 718 apps this week.
This isn’t the first time there’s been a purge from this software store. But this time none of the applications were breaking Chinese law, just Apple’s own rules.