Quit wasting time and learn something with Brilliant. Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
Whether you’re addicted to Twitter, obsessed with Fortnite or wasting the day away on Netflix, you can kill hours on your iPhone without ever doing anything useful or productive.
Instead of mindlessly killing time, Brilliant gives you a way to expand your mind and learn something new every day.
Some iOS 11 users are having trouble accessing the App Store and Apple Music, according to online reports.
The services have been unusable for over a day for a number of users who are yet to upgrade to the latest software — despite being shown as online on Apple’s System Status page. There is a weird workaround that has proven useful for some, however.
Apple's FaceTime bug allowed users to eavesdrop on others. Photo: Apple
Apple has apologized for its FaceTime bug, and assured customers that an iOS software update is coming next week to fix it.
The FaceTime flaw allowed users to see and hear individuals before they answered a Group FaceTime call. Apple took the Group FaceTime servers offline after the news broke, but from the sound of things, it regrets how long it took to deal with the situation.
VideoProc makes it easy to download, edit and convert video for perfect playback on any device. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
The higher the quality of video gets, the harder it is to make the files work on the variety of devices we use. That’s because all kinds of new formats, codecs and other standards create compatibility issues. Even the sharpest 4K footage ever won’t look its best on your iPhone if it’s not in the right format.
Apple has been a strong proponent of encryption. Photo: Cult of Mac
The U.K. government has an idea for getting around the thorny issue of tech companies creating a backdoor for encrypted services: just let government agents be able to listen in on encrypted communications.
That’s the so-called “ghost proposal” being put forward by officials from Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), a close surveillance partner of the U.S. National Security Agency. The proposal would make it possible to inject hidden participants into secure messaging services.
This week on The CultCast: A new report details what’s (probably) next for Apple’s 2019 and 2020 iPhones. Plus: Apple plans Netflix-for-games subscription service (with Alex E. Heath!); it’s not just you, everyone got way more spam calls in 2018. And we talk a new wireless charging brick for iPhone, a smart outlet with HomeKit support, and the super-smart HomeKit thermostat you’ve never heard of, in an all-new Under Review.
Our thanks to Dashlane for supporting this episode. Dashlane is the official password manager of Cult of Mac. It’s so good, even Leander Kahney’s mommy uses it. Use it for free for one device at Dashlane.com/CultofMac.
Something weird happened in December, however. When Apple’s stock price was tumbling from its record high, Apple stopped buying back shares. Clearly the whole “buy low, sell high” thing doesn’t always apply!
Samsung may have accidentally given us an early glimpse at its first foldable phone — weeks before it gets its official unveiling.
A foldable device appears in a one-minute teaser posted and then quickly removed by Samsung Vietnam. But is it really the handset that will be revealed during a big Samsung Unpacked event in San Francisco on February 20?
Nintendo has confirmed that Dr. Mario will be its next franchise to make the leap to mobile.
Dr. Mario World is scheduled for a worldwide release in “early summer” on Android and iOS. It will be developed by Nintendo, Line, and NHN Entertainment, and just like the rest of Nintendo’s mobile lineup, it will be free-to-play.
Rome: Total War just got a big update for iOS. Photo: Rome: Total War
I’m still blown away that the developers of Rome: Total War for iOS were able to take the classic PC strategy game and translate it almost perfectly to Apple’s touch-based mobile operating system.
Well, the game just got even better since its latest update adds 8 more playable functions, and numerous other updates. Check out more details below.
Apple broke Facebook and Google's internal apps this week. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Having apparently proved its point, Apple has restored its access to enterprise certificates for both Facebook and Google, essentially un-breaking their internal apps.
In a statement to the New York Times‘ Mike Isaac, Facebook confirmed that Facebook is currently “in the process” of returning its internal apps to working order. Google, meanwhile, confirmed to Bloomberg that it was, “working with Apple to fix a temporary disruption to some of our corporate iOS apps.”
Apple is on a ban-spree! Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Google’s internal apps have been completely disabled from running on iPhone’s and iPads today by Apple.
The move comes one day after Facebook’s internal apps suffered the same fate when Apple revoked the social network’s enterprise certificates that allowed them to install apps without going through the App Store. Without the certificates, Google is unable to test beta builds of its iOS apps.
We’ve seen some terrific discounts on the latest iPad Pro lineup, despite the fact that it hasn’t been out for long, and Amazon’s latest is up there with the best of them. The retail giant has slashed $100 off the 256GB model with cellular connectivity, reducing its price tag to $999.
And that’s just one of the awesome offers in today’s Deals & Steals roundup! We also have refurbished 9.7-inch iPad Pro units for under $300, and $125 off the Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE. Plus, you can save up to 46 percent on some of Logitech’s best accessories for iPad and Mac.
Wait just a minute… Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Did you ever look at the five-minute intervals on the Calendar app’s time picker and think, “I really wish I could set that appointment at 09:03 and not 09:05”?
No, neither did I (nor did anyone else that isn’t some kind of control-freak psychopath). But that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Today we’ll see how to tweak the Calendar’s time wheel to show one-minute increments instead of the usual five-minute segments.
Apple is considering a MacBook with a glass keyboard, not a traditional one. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple developed a design for a MacBook keyboard that’s slim, lightweight, silent and can’t possibly have problems with grit in the keys. That’s because it consists of a sheet of glass with raised keys.
Obviously there are drawbacks, but this proposal shows the company’s efforts to innovate.
Gabrielle Reilly embraces form and function with her Airings. Photo: Gabrielle Reilly
Gabrielle Reilly purchased Apple AirPods because there were no wires for her mischievous cat to chew up.
But AirPods came with a new risk of loss from slipping out of her ears. So Reilly, a paralegal from Virginia, created a set of earrings to hold her AirPods.
The launch of the 2018 iPad Pro gave Apple a stellar holiday season in tablet sales. Photo: Apple
iPad shipments grew by double digits last quarter, giving Apple its best holiday period for tablet sales since 2015.Shipments of slates and 2-in-1s had dropped earlier in the year, but analysts correctly predicted this was the result of people holding off for the new iPad Pro.
Some of Apple’s rivals also saw gains at the end of 2018.
Angela Ahrendts giving a sneak peek of the new Fifth Ave store. Photo: Apple
The most iconic Apple store in the world is finally getting ready to reopen its doors.
Apple’s glass cube store on Fifth Avenue in New York City has been temporarily closed for over two years, but according to the property company Apple leases the land from, construction on the store’s expansion is nearly done.
Apple stores are banned from selling the iPhone 7 in Germany. Photo: Apple
Qualcomm is revving up its legal battle with Apple. In a new court filing in Munich, Qualcomm demanded “significant fines” be put on the iPhone-maker for not complying with a previous court order.
Apple was barred from selling some iPhones in Germany at the end of 2018. The company pulled the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 at its retail stores, but Qualcomm is crying foul that other third-party shops still had units in stock.
Fortnite players can now start earning exclusive new Marshmello rewards ahead of the artist’s in-game concert on February 2.
There are four altogether, but sadly the Marshmello model that leaked in data files earlier this week isn’t one of them. You can look forward to a new spray, emote, and pickaxe, however.
The iPhone SE is a brilliant handset. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple seemingly scrapped plans for an iPhone SE 2, but there’s good news for fans of Apple’s 4-inch handset. For the third time this month, Apple is offering brand-new, unlocked models of the iPhone SE for up to $150 off.
The handsets are available in rose gold, gold and silver options on Apple’s clearance webpage. The 32GB models cost just $249 and the 128GB models go for $299.
The new iPad mini is more affordable when you sell your old one. Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac
Compal Electronics will be the primary supplier of the next-generation iPad mini, which is expected to launch sometime this year, according to a new report.
The manufacturer is in the process of expanding production capacity with the expectation of increased shipments and revenues in 2019, despite “clouded” economic prospects.
It won’t happen until 2020 at the earliest. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has confirmed plans to merge WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger — but says it probably won’t happen until 2020 at the earliest.
In a fourth-quarter earnings call this week, Zuckerberg also explained the reasons behind the plan, such as increased security with end-to-end encryption. Many questions still remain unanswered, however.