Don’t just record your friends’ dance routine. Add augmented reality effects to make it amazing. Photo: Apple
Apple Clips 3.1, a new version of the free video-creation app, adds fun augmented reality effects that map themselves to a room and the people in it. The goal is unique videos that people can then share on social media.
And Apple promised to start making monthly content releases with new filters, stickers and more.
Apple plans to make new contributions of more than $430 billion in the US and add 20,000 jobs across the country over the next five years. Photo: Apple
Apple is ramping up its investments in the U.S., announcing Monday its plans to make “new contributions of more than $430 billion” as well as adding 20,000 new jobs across the country within the next five years.
According to Apple, it has breezed past its original five-year-plan, laid out in 2018, for investing $350 billion in the U.S. economy. It is now increasing this — with a particular focus on next-gen chip development, AI, and 5G innovation.
With a little bit of tweaking, Control Center can be a lot more useful. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
We want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’sControl Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.
On iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac, the Control Center puts vital tools at your fingertips. And while most people probably are familiar with some preset options, like Airplane Mode and Do Not Disturb, a world of customization awaits anyone willing to spend a few minutes digging deeper into this underutilized tool set.
All week long, we’ll show you how to get the most out of Control Center — and thus squeeze even more sweet utility out of your Apple devices. With this series of quick and simple Control Center tips, we’ll show you how to add useful buttons that make common tasks easier than ever.
No bigger than a USB flash drive, this high-speed portable SSD works with all your Apple gear thanks to its USB-C, Lightning and USB-A connectors. It weighs just 17 grams, making it the ultimate data storage device for travelers, digital nomads or anyone else who needs massive backup in a tiny size. Find out more about Rapid SSD.
When Apple said its spring event would be "loaded," it wasn't kidding. Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac Magazine
iMac … iPad Pro … Apple TV 4K … AirTag …
So much new Apple hardware, so little time!
And that’s not to mention the purple iPhone or the upgrades and updates coming to Apple Podcasts, Apple Card and more. Jump right into all our coverage of this week’s big “Spring Loaded” Apple event in Cult of Mac Magazine. (And if you’re already caught up on that, you’ll find plenty of other Apple news, reviews and how-tos.)
Our iOS mag is free and makes reading easy and fun, but you also can find the headlines below.
Spotify reportedly won't take a cut of creators' subscription revenue. Photo: Spotify
Earlier this week, Apple opened up its Podcasts service to subscriptions, calling it a “global marketplace for listeners to discover premium subscriptions offered by their favorite creators.” Now, The Wall Street Journal reports that Spotify is set to jump in with a rival premium podcast feature.
However, unlike Apple, Spotify supposedly won’t take a cut of podcasters’ subscription revenues.
Not one to let moss grow under its feet, Apple quickly began testing follow-up operating systems for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple already began testing the first betas of iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6, watchOS 7.5 and tvOS 14.5. Developers were seeded these on Thursday, even though the versions that were previously in beta testing have yet to be introduced to the public.
Is buying something in iTunes or Apple TV really buying it? Photo: Cult of Mac
A federal judge gave the go ahead to a lawsuit that claims Apple is tricking customers with the iTunes “Buy” button. There are questions about whether what’s happening qualifies as a purchase of the movie or TV show.
Apple was hoping to have the suite completely dismissed. As it is, the company may have to make a change to the way it offers this type of content.
From App Store to Apple Music, every Apple platform is going all-in on Earth Day. Photo: Apple
Today is Earth Day and, to celebrate the occasion, Apple’s introduced a plethora of “Earth Day programming” across its various platforms, including the App Store, Apple TV+, and Apple Watch. For today, at least, no matter where you go for your Earth Day reminders, Apple’s got you covered.
They want Apple blocked from importing Apple Watches into the U.S. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
AliveCor, a company which makes Apple device-compatible, FDA-cleared ECG devices, has sued Apple for allegedly infringing on three of its patents with the Apple Watch. An ECG — or electrocardiogram — records the rhythm, the rate, and the electrical activity of the heart.
The health-conscious startup claims, in a press release, that Apple is trying to “eliminate” it as competition in this space. Until the matter is settled, it wants a judge to stop Apple from importing the Apple Watch into the United States. That would, in essence, stop Apple from selling the Apple Watch in its biggest market.
We finally got our first legit look at an AirTag, but that was just the beginning! Photo: Apple
Wow, that was the speediest, most jam-packed Apple event in recent memory.
It was so quick-moving, we all got whiplash. There was barely time to catch your breath between announcements: Here’s a new purple iPhone. Fuggedaboutit, here’s a new Apple TV, and new AirTags. Oh, and hers’s new iMacs — and iPads!!
In an hour, Tim Cook and Co. managed to introduce a raft of products with dozens of new features and technologies while dazzling us with some pretty jaw-dropping promo videos.
Once again, the prerecorded format worked well. The promo videos in Tuesday’s “Spring Loaded” event looked super. They hit us with a great mix of head-spinning effects and angles, humor and product placement.
Here are some thoughts and initial reactions to some of the major announcements: