From the iPhone 8 to iOS 11, Apple’s got no shortage of big launches coming in the next few weeks. But the one with the biggest long-term potential for Apple is one that Tim Cook says makes him want to “yell out and scream” with excitement.
That product is ARKit, the augmented reality platform Apple unveiled this year at WWDC. Here’s why it’s going to be massively important for Apple.
A great premium top-down stealth shooter that’s sure to appeal to any Hitman or Metal Gear Solid fans out there is just one of the apps we’ve picked for this week’s “Awesome Apps” roundup.
We’ve also got new reminders integration for a superb email client for Mac, a podcast recording app for iOS, and a massive update to one of my absolute favorite games of 2017. Check out our picks below.
Google has expanded the reach of the Google Assistant on iOS.
Until today, the feature was only available to iPhone and iPad users in the U.S. — but now you can access it in a number of new countries throughout Europe, including the U.K.
Ever tapped an App Store link for a Mac app while browsing on your iPad, and gotten sent to a useless page telling you that the app is only available on the Mac? Like, you couldn’t possibly want to know the price, or see screenshots, or read any other information about a Mac app while you’re using your iPhone?Well,
Well, those dark, patronizing days are over. In iOS 11, clicking on a link for a Mac App takes you to the proper iOS 11 App Store entry for that app. Right there on your iPad.
App stores that take a 30 percent chunk of developers’ earnings are parasites, according to Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games.
“The system is pretty unfair at the moment,” Sweeney said during a keynote speech on the future of graphics and games development in the U.K. “These app stores take 30 percent of your revenue for distribution … That’s strange because MasterCard, Visa and other companies that handle transactions take 2 percent or 3 percent of the revenue…. So they’re pocketing a huge amount of profit from your order – and they aren’t really doing much to help us anymore.”
Apple is often criticized for its strict App Store guidelines that prevent all kinds of titles from being approved. But the state of the Windows Store proves strict guidelines are a necessity.
Microsoft’s marketplace is currently littered with apps that allow users to illegally stream movies and TV shows for free. There’s also a range of titles that provide access to pirated music.
ZCast, the app that makes podcasting from an iOS device easy, just got a big new update that makes it an even greater platform for publishing your own shows.
Version 3.0 gives users the ability to record in studio-quality audio, and support for social media embeds that allow fans to enjoy your content directly within tweets and Facebook posts.
Want to know which app to download for everything you need to know about this week’s total solar eclipse? We’ve singled out one of the best options as part of our latest “Awesome Apps” roundup.
We’ve also got a great update to a brilliant iOS fighting game, a story-driven racing title, and a big improvement to ESPN’s app for every sport lover out there. Check out our choices below.
The Purchased tab in the iOS App Store may seem to have disappeared in iOS 11, but don’t worry — it has only moved. And got a little less useful. Whereas in iOS 10 and prior, your previously purchased apps were found in their own dedicated App Store tab (iPad) or above the list of app updates (iPhone), now they’re accessed by tapping the little silhouette of a head in a circle, which indicates your user account.
Instagram today made a simple change that makes commenting on photos much better.
Like Facebook and other services, it now supports threaded comments, so it’s easier to keep track of replies.
Street Fighter IV: Champion Edition landed on iOS last month and, true to its promise, it’s already introducing updates designed to keep the gaming experience fresh.
This week, the game will introduce fan favorite characters Evil Ryu, Guy, and Gouken, all of whom will be available to players as free downloads.
Remember the innocent joy of gaming in the 1990s? You can relive it this weekend, courtesy of two rereleases of forgotten console gems from the decade of Nirvana and dial-up internet.
Those are just two of the picks we’ve highlighted for this week’s “Awesome Apps” roundup. We’ve also got a great update to an iOS email client and a livestreaming app for Mac.
Check out our choices below.
Ulysses, one of the best writing apps on the Mac and iOS, just switched to subscription pricing. It’ll now cost you $5 per month, or $40 per year. This is fantastic news for Ulysses users. It means the app will generate enough income to support itself. And it minimizes the risk of the developers abandoning the app when the flow of new users dries to a trickle.
Yet despite this good news, the internet lost it mind after yesterday’s announcement of the pricing change. Currently the Ulysses blog is only serving a single post, the one detailing the change, because the traffic has been enough to collapse the servers. What happened?
Apple is being sued by 28 developers in China for allegedly breaching antitrust regulations. According to the complaint, Apple charged excessive fees and removed apps from the App Store without a proper explanation.
In the past, Cupertino said its guidelines for allowable apps are consistent across countries. The lawsuit comes as Apple expands its developer relations team in China.
Facebook has shut down Lifestage, a Snapchat clone designed to entice teens into using it for casual photo sharing.
The Lifestage app for iOS disappeared from the App Store earlier this week, less than a year after making its debut, and the social network has confirmed it is no more.
If you’ve ever found yourself enjoying the crashing sections of racing games more than, you know, the racing bits, Carmageddon: Crashers may be for you.
It’s essentially a version of the game chicken, in which two cars drive at one another, with one swerving out of the way at the last minute. Except that in this version, no-one swerves!
An empire-building, resource-trading, planet-colonizing strategy game in which you play a shared universe alongside thousands of other players is just one of the great App Store picks we’ve highlighted for this week’s “Awesome Apps” roundup.
We’ve also selected a nifty update to an augmented reality favorite, a fun crazy golf game, and new functionality for one of the best third-party iOS keyboards going. Check out our choices below.
Services have become such an important revenue stream for Apple in recent years that the company decided to update its official business strategy today reflect its expanding money making machine.
In a filing with the SEC, Apple made a couple of changes to the description of its business. It’s the first time a major change has been made to the strategy since around 2014.
Apple posted its second-highest Q3 earnings ever today, surprising investors with $45.4 billion in revenue powered by strong iPhone, iPad, Mac and services revenues.
CEO Tim Cook sounded pleased during Apple’s earnings call, but he wasn’t just looking back on the past three months. By the end of the call, Cook had analysts hyped for the future and upcoming Apple products.
Here are the five biggest takeaways from the Apple Q3 2017 earnings call.
Apple and Google have removed a total of 330 binary trading apps from their respective app stores, following intervention from the Australian Securities & Investments Commission.
Australia’s securities regulator requested the removal of the apps based on fraud investigations, concerning certain apps which allow users to make bets about whether or not shares and currency will rise or fall. While some apps that do this are legitimate, others have been linked to scams.
Spotify has extended its lead on Apple Music when it comes to paid subscribers, according to a new report that claims the streaming music service has broken the 60 million threshold.
Google today rolled out a nice new Gboard update for iPhone, adding the ability to send drawings, Google Maps, and YouTube videos. The additions make the best third-party keyboard on iOS even better.
Apple is set to unveil its latest earnings report on Tuesday, and Wall Street analysts predict it will probably be the most boring earnings call of 2017.
This will likely be Apple’s last public announcement before it unveils the next generation of iPhones. Apple CEO Tim Cook might drop some hints on what to expect, and when, as investors look forward to Apple’s next big blockbuster quarter. As usual, Cult of Mac will be here liveblogging the entire event with all the analysis and wit we can muster.
Watch for these five things during the call:
Microsoft’s Word Flow keyboard for iPhone has been pulled from the App Store now that the company’s “experiment” is over.
The unique keyboard, which made its debut last April, was designed for one-handed typing on larger displays. Now Microsoft is advising fans to switch to SwiftKey instead.
A stunning minimalist iOS puzzle game, in which you must guide a beam of light through a network of pipes, is just one of the great App Store picks we’ve highlighted for this week’s “Awesome Apps” roundup.
We’ve also selected a great music-making app for iPhone and iPad, a smart Bluetooth device finder for tracking down your lost Apple Pencil, and an entertaining parkour endless runner. Check out our choices below.
