iOS 12 public beta 4 lets you try out all the new iPhone and iPad features months before the full release, expected this fall. Photo: Apple
You don’t have to wait to get the new features of iOS 12. You could install a pre-release version and start tinkering with Siri Shortcuts or Memoji now.
Apple just introduced iOS 12 public beta 4, hopefully the most stable version yet. There are both iPhone and iPad iterations.
The new and improved Photos app on iOS 12. Photo: Apple
Apple’s new betas for iOS 12 are coming out like clockwork with the fifth beta build arriving this morning nearly two weeks after the last beta dropped.
Developers received iOS 12 beta 5 this morning along with new betas for tvOS 12, watchOS 5 and macOS Mojave. Each new build contains a number of fixes as Apple readies the new software for a public launch this fall.
If Siri seems to be of greater service to you lately, an annual IQ test comparing virtual assistants shows its definitely getting smarter.
Loup Ventures annually peppers the various digital assistants with five categories of questions and when it comes to accuracy and comprehension of a user’s question, Google Assistant remains the best. Siri, however, is right behind Google while Amazon’s Alex and Cortana lags behind in that order.
This week we check out a virtual bassist for your iPad, a music player for iOS that actually lets you load tunes off the internet or from the Files app, and two more hot, hot apps, or app-like services.
Have you upgraded early to iOS 12? Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
iOS 12 users can finally enjoy Fortnite again after Apple’s latest beta fixed random game crashes.
A problem with downloading Netflix titles has also been eliminated, but a number of new bugs have been introduced with this release — including on that breaks the new Screen Time feature.
In this week's Cult of Mac Magazine: The new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models with Touch Bar up the ante for pro users. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
In this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine: Apple just updated its MacBook Pro line, ramping up performance and adding various advanced features. Phil Schiller, Apple’s marketing VP, calls the new Apple laptops “the fastest and most powerful notebook we’ve ever made.”
Microsoft Surface Go with Surface Pen ($99), Surface Cover ($99) and Surface Mouse ($49.99). Photo: Microsoft
The iPad Pro and Microsoft’s Surface Pro are serious competitors, but until now Redmond didn’t have anything to take on the $329 iPad. That changed with the reveal of the Surface Go.
This device is $70 more than Apple’s offering and includes a screen just a hair larger. Let’s take a look at how all of their specs compare.
Adding an calendar event with Drafts is as easy as writing it on paper. Photo: Sludge G/Flickr CC
Do you hate adding new events to your iOS calendar? It’s a real pain, right? You have to click, and type, and turn one of these time and date dials, and type some more. On the Mac you can just hit ⌘-N to create a new event, and then type something like Dinner tomorrow at 19:00, and the Calendar app just works out what you mean, and adds the event.
On iOS, you have to do it manually, or try to coax Siri into doing it for you — neither of which is a pleasant experience. Why isn’t there a natural-language input for the iOS Calendar app? Well, if you’re using the awesome Drafts app, then there is.
Watch out. The iOS 12 public beta may lave you in need of a public telephone. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
In this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine: The public beta of iOS 12 is out now, so anyone can download it and install it on their device. But what does the new version of iOS actually do? Apple introduced Screen Time, the great new Do Not Disturb, and the powerful Siri Shortcuts at the WWDC 2018 keynote in June. But until you dig into them, you won’t have an idea how great these new features are, along with many more.