It’s as reliable as the seasons. As sure as the weather getting colder or the leaves turning yellow and orange, mouths begin to water when a new iPhone model rolls around. The iPhone 11 is no exception, marking a serious upgrade for an already top-tier device.
Of course, it also carries a top-tier price. That makes this chance to win an iPhone 11 — along with a set of AirPods and a wireless charging pad — even more irresistible.
Who needs Apple AR glasses? The era of Apple augmented reality is already here. You just might not have noticed it. Here’s a look at where we are — and where we might be headed.
Get that glimpse of the present/future, along with Apple how-tos and product reviews (including our take on one of the best metal Apple Watch bands yet), in this week’s issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Grab your free download from the iOS App Store. Or hit the links below to read this week’s best Apple news, reviews and how-tos in your browser.
Plus, don’t miss your chance to enter our Apple Watch Series 5 giveaway. It ends soon!
If you need a charging hub that you can take with you everywhere, you want one that’s going to survive every trip. And you want one that charges all your devices simultaneously.
What you really want is the Elago 3-in-1 charging hub. It tops up your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods — and it’s virtually unbreakable. It’s also a steal at just $30 with free shipping.
“Apple is all-in on augmented reality. But where will it lead?” That’s a pretty standard view of Apple’s experiments with visual AR, aka overlaying virtual objects onto the real world, via the iPhone’s camera and screen.
But Apple is already providing a fully immersive AR overlay onto the real world, to millions of users — only it isn’t using a screen. AirPods are augmented reality. They are also a part of a new computing paradigm that Apple snuck into the world without telling anybody. This paradigm currently consists of AirPods, iPhone, Apple Watch and the HomePod. And it is as discreet and low-key as it is important.
Apple is expected to deliver pricier “AirPods Pro” with noise cancellation later this month, according to a new report.
Images of the buds were leaked by Apple in an iOS 13.2 beta earlier this month. They are expected to offer multiple listening modes and could cost around $100 more than the regular models.
In iOS 13.2, Siri can announce your incoming messages and read them to you. This is the kind of feature that is so useful, and obvious, that it seems like it should have always been there. It’s called Announce Messages with Siri, and it does just that.
Here’s how to set it up and use it
Clear the clutter on your bedside table with the Zens Stand+Dock. This stunning charger tops up iPhone and AirPods simultaneously and eliminates messy cables that are forever in your way.
A built-in USB port on its base also allows you to charge a third device — like your Apple Watch. And with up to 20W of power output, there’s more than enough to go around.
Here’s why we love the Zens Stand+Dock.
The Spotify update we’ve been waiting for since the launch of iOS 13 has landed. The latest version of the app finally adds Siri support, so you can ask the virtual assistant to play artists, tracks, and more.
It also brings a brand-new Apple TV app.
A new iOS 13.2 beta, out today for registered developers, spilled details about Apple’s next-generation AirPods with noise cancellation for the first time.
An image of the new Apple earbuds reveals a revamped design with soft tips. The beta also references different listening modes.
When Apple unveiled the AirPods in 2016, the first thing I thought was how dorky they looked with that long stem and no wires.
Fast-forward three years, and you know what looks dorky? Wearing wired earbuds like a dang peasant!
I only mention this to show that I am obviously not the best at predicting what kind of gadgets will look too nerdy to go mainstream. But when Microsoft unveiled its new Surface Earbuds today, it’s a pretty safe bet to say they’re so ugly not even nerds will love them.
Would you buy a pair of AirPods knockoffs that don’t actually play any sound? It sounds crazy (and, frankly, it is), but that’s exactly what one company is selling; cashing in on the fashionable status of Apple’s wireless earbuds.
Fashion e-tailer Asos is selling the $12 “faux headphone earpiece in silver tone” as a piece of jewellery. Because it’s 2019 and this is what people do.
Here’s a top tip: If your job involves promoting hardware that is not made by Apple, do not use an Apple device in public.
It sounds easy, right? As it turns out, it’s pretty darn difficult. And it’s a problem suffered by many, many people who are likely way above your pay grade. The latest example? Amazon exec Dave Limp, who yesterday gave an interview promoting Amazon’s new wireless Echo Buds. While wearing Apple’s AirPods, of course.
An AirPods-based wall display at Apple’s recently re-opened Fifth Avenue Apple Store features a cool Easter egg for long-time fans.
The Easter egg features Apple’s ultra popular AirPods being used as notes in a piece of sheet music. The music represented is from Apple’s iconic “Here’s to the Crazy Ones” ad campaign, which ran shortly after Steve Jobs’ return in the late 1990s.
In iOS 13, you can share songs and watch movies with a friend, with each of you using your own AirPods. The new feature is called Audio Sharing, and it lets you instantly — and temporarily — pair a second set of AirPods to your iPhone or iPad. It’s like the olde schoole method of using a headphone splitter to plug two sets of headphones into one jack socket, only way more expensive and fancy.
Here’s how to use it.
Keep your beloved AirPods safe and secure with Ullu’s gorgeous new case. It’s made from fine Italian leather and hand-colored for a unique finish. And it’s unbelievably affordable!
Apple couldn’t deliver AirPower for reasons we’re still not completely sure of, but others have been able to pull off the seemingly impossible. One of those is Xvida with its terrific do-it-all wireless charging pad.
The Triple Power Magnetic Wireless Charger tops up your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously. And it’s available to order today at a surprinsingly sweet price.
Huawei’s newest AirPods clones have beaten Apple to active noise cancellation (ANC).
The new feature is rumored to be on its way to next-generation AirPods in 2020. But if you can’t wait, the latest FreeBuds have you covered — and they beat AirPods in other areas, too.
AirPods go everywhere with us, so why not carry them safely and in style?
Pick up two essential AirPods accessories from Twelve South this Labor Day weekend and save big with the Cult of Mac Watch Store.
You’ll save $9 when you buy both the AirSnap case and AirFly wireless adapter together. You can also enjoy a rare 20% off the rest of the Twelve South lineup until September 4.
A bunch of Apple products will be hit by new levies on Sunday after being entered into the Federal Register today.
Apple Watch, AirPods, iMac and more will be taxed 15% when entering the U.S. from China. It will be the first time Apple has been affected by the ongoing trade war.
Amazon’s big discounts on the latest 9.7-inch iPad are back for Labor Day. You can enjoy up to $100 off the usual list prices for a limited time, with prices starting at just $249. You can also save a whopping $400 on the 2018 iPad Pro lineup.
You will also find 40% off official Apple Lightning cables, and 20% off all Caterjett bands for Apple Watch in today’s Deals & Steals roundup. Plus, you can pick up Anker’s excellent wireless charging pad for iPhone for under $13.50.
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Because Apple devices aren’t already pricey or luxurious-looking enough, there’s no shortage of jewelers lining up to daub them with bling for the way-too-much-money-with-nothing-to-spend-it-on set.
But it’s not every day that we actually get to see these transformations in action. Fortunately, skilled YouTube jeweler Pablo Cimadevila has stepped into the breach with a new video. It shows how he took regular AirPods and turned them into 18K gold versions. Check it out:
Apple Korea created a video to demonstrate some unusual ways to fancy up AirPods charging cases. Many people decorate their Mac and iPhone, and pick a stylish Apple Watch band too. Why leave this AirPods accessory plain white?
Watch the video now:
Surprisingly, iOS 13.1 is already in beta. It looks like Apple’s release strategy this year is to freeze the current beta version of iOS 13.0 in order to get it ready for the new iPhones expected on September 10. Meanwhile, Apple continues to test the next version, adding back some features removed during the beta period — Shortcuts automations, for example.
So, what other new (or revived) features will you find in iOS 13.1 beta 1?
Apple’s AirPods are some of the top-selling earphones of all time. But according to Consumer Reports, they have a problem: “They just don’t sound great.”
In a series of tests, the consumer testing group pits the second-gen AirPods against Samsung’s Galaxy Buds. And, spoiler alert, their conclusions don’t come down in Cupertino’s favor.
