Apple Inc. - page 12

HomePod unboxing video: First look at Apple’s smart speaker

By

HomePod HomeKit Unboxing
Check out Apple's new HomePod in action.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

After months of delays, Apple’s HomePod is finally available in Apple Stores today. Before we get to the reviews, comparisons and tips, with our latest video we give you a tour of what’s in the box, show you how easy it is to set up, show it off in action and my first impressions.

Check the video out below.

Apple teams up with Cisco to fight cyber risks

By

Apple cyber risk
Apple wants to help organizations defend against cyber crime.
Photo: Apple

Apple has teamed up with Cisco and others to offer a new cyber risk management solution for businesses.

The package combines the most secure technology from Apple and Cisco with cyber insurance from Allianz and cyber resilience evaluation services from Aon. It is designed to help organizations better protect themselves from today’s cyber risks.

Best iPad cases for every type of user

By

pad and quill
The right case is not only protective, but functional, and even classy.
Photo: Pad&Quill

You have in your hands a brand new iPad. Now what? Sure, you can just go ahead and use it au natural. But consider: While iPads may look like hulking slabs of aluminum and glass, they are deceptively delicate. They cry out for protection.

Gauging which is the best case to safely secure your tablet is not for the faint of heart, given the myriad options out there. That’s where our iPad case roundup comes in. We’ve scoured the best reviews, including our own, and looked at buyers’ favorite cases on shopping sites like Amazon.

Then we gathered our picks into several categories, depending on how much you want to pay, what type of protection you need, and any extra functionality offered (like keyboard cases). And we’ve also put together a list of runners-up — cases that are pretty good, or even great, but just didn’t make our cut.

How to spot a fake Lightning cable

By

Use the cable that came with your iPhone as a reference to spot fake Lightning cables.
Use the cable that came with your iPhone as a reference to spot fakes.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Who cares if that cheap charging cable you buy is a fake? It’s just a cable, right? Maybe, maybe not. A fake Lightning cable could contain malware, for instance. Or it could be miswired, damaging your iPhone the way a miswired USB power cable can destroy a laptop computer.

The best case is that your device may not sync or charge. The worst case is that your iPhone could get damaged, or the cable could overheat and set fire to your home while you sleep. Here’s how to make sure a Lightning cable is legit.

How Apple’s going to spend its massive fortune, this week on The CultCast

By

CultCast Tim Cook money
Apple's bringing home its massive fortune.
Photo: Business Insider

This week on a very spicy edition of The CultCast: Tim Cook is thrilled with the new U.S. tax overhaul, and has some exciting plans to spend Apple’s massive fortune. Plus: Forget other smart speakers — we’ll tell you why we’re now even more excited for HomePod. And stick around for our favorite movies, shows and sausages in an all-new, very weird “What We’re Into!”

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace.com website. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off any hosting plan.

Sleek USB-C travel charger juices 4 Apple devices at once

By

USB-C
The Type-C 75W Multiport Travel Charger is a handy accessory for business travels.
Photo: Satechi

CES 2018 bug Satechi is doing its part to ease our move to USB-C. The consumer electronics company’s latest device is a 75-watt USB Type-C travel charger smaller than a deck of cards.

The space gray charger, which made an appearance at this week’s CES in Las Vegas, can charge up to four devices at once. It packs four charging ports: one USB-C, two USB-A and one Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0.

5 awesome cases to keep your iPhone X safe and stylish

By

iPhone X case roundup
Looking for a new case for your iPhone X? We've got you covered.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

At $1,000, the iPhone X is as expensive as it is attractive. That’s not so great should the worst happen, since replacing the screen alone will cost around $300.

Since I’ve had mine, it’s practically lived in a case. In today’s video, I’m sharing some of my favorite iPhone X cases so far — ranging from the stylish to the extra-durable. Check them out below.

Apple Watch could get EKG sensor to boost heart monitoring

By

x
The next Apple Watch will be better at detecting heart problems.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The Apple Watch is poised to become a serious medical device in the next few years thanks to a big new upgrade coming down the pipeline.

Apple is reportedly developing an advanced heart-rate monitoring system for Apple Watch that will utilize an electrocardiogram to take more accurate readings of the wearers’ health.

Apple makes big investment in TrueDepth sensor maker

By

TrueDepth Finisar
TrueDepth sensors in production at Finisar.
Photo: Apple

Apple has invested a substantial sum of cash in TrueDepth sensor maker Finisar.

The $390 million fund will allow for increased research and development spending, and high-volume production of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). It will also allow Finisar to open a new production facility in Texas, creating more than 500 jobs.

Best wireless earbuds for iPhone and iPad

By

wireless earbuds
Wireless earbuds sometimes come with wires.
Photo: Beats by Dre

Wired earbuds still sound better than similarly priced wireless earbuds, plus they don’t usually require charging. But the wires are a big enough pain that going wireless is a one-way trip. Never again will you have to untangle your earbuds to listen to a podcast in bed. You won’t have to put up with rustling cables as you walk, or suffer having earbuds ripped out when the wire catches on your hand.

But not all wireless earbuds are worth the switch. And there are also several big differences in style and function that you should consider. Here, then, is your guide to the best wireless earbuds around.

Amazon tops Apple for title of best-managed company

By

Amazon is on fire.
Amazon is on fire.
Photo: Amazon

American tech companies are a some of the most effectively managed businesses in the world, according to a new landmark system that ranked the top 250 companies.

Even though Apple is the world’s most profitable company, the rankings found that Amazon is actually the most efficiently run business. But Apple follows at a close second.

Cops want Texas church shooter’s iCloud data

By

Texas mass shooter's iPhone
This picture of Devin Patrick Kelley's iPhone SE was filed in court with a search warrant request asking Apple to retrieve iCloud data.
Photo: San Antonio Express-News

Texas Rangers served a search warrant on Apple in hopes of getting data from the iPhone of Sutherland Springs mass shooter Devin Patrick Kelley.

Rangers obtained search warrants on Nov. 9 for files stored on Kelley’s iPhone SE, which was found with him after he took his own life following a high-speed chase. The warrant also requests any files stored on Kelley’s iCloud account.

Best wireless charging pads for iPhone X and iPhone 8

By

Best wireless charging pads for iPhone X and iPhone 8
You've got a new iPhone. Now it's time to get ready for wireless charging.
Photo: Belkin

Update: Apple added faster 7.5-watt wireless charging in iOS 11.2, which is currently in beta. We’ve updated this guide and placed compatible fast-charging pads at the top of the list.

Apple’s new iPhone lineup finally supports wireless charging. Both the iPhone X and the iPhone 8/8 Plus use the Qi standard that’s been popular for years. That means you can choose from an endless list of compatible charging pads, mats and stands already on the market.

So, which one(s) should you buy? We’ve rounded up some of the best iPhone wireless chargers to make your buying decision a little bit easier.

Apple diversity report shows the company is still white and male

By

diversity Apple
Apple is pledging to do more on the diversity front.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new video published this afternoon is a celebration of diversity, but according to a recent government filing, the company still has a long way to go before it can really call itself inclusive.

Over 80% of Apple’s senior ranking officials are white males, based on Apple’s updated Inclusion and Diversity report. Most of the numbers are stagnant compared to 2016, but there are a few spots to be proud of.

Apple helping FBI with locked smartphone of Texas shooter

By

FBI director says Feds still can't unlock iPhone in Pensacola shooting case
FBI director says Feds still can't unlock iPhone in Pensacola shooting case
Photo: Dave Newman/Flickr CC

Apple says it “immediately” reached out to the FBI to help the agency unlock the encrypted smartphone of the shooter in the Texas church massacre.

The FBI declined to name the type of phone used by suspected shooter, Devin Kelley, but ABC News reported earlier today that the device is indeed an Apple handset.

Apple supplier eyes AR glasses

By

Face Id
Are Apple Glasses coming soon?
Photo: Apple

One of the key suppliers for the iPhone X is fueling speculation that Apple is working on a standalone augmented reality product.

Catcher Tech, which makes metal casings for Apple products like the iPhone, iPad and MacBooks says that it is planning to start making metal components for AR products.

The best iPhone X cases you can buy right now

By

cracked-iphone
Don't let this happen to you.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

The iPhone X is almost here. Preorders have been taken, so now it’s time to spend the rest of the week until delivery choosing accessories for your new iPhone X.

Unlike the iPhone 8, which fits perfectly into (most) existing iPhone 7 cases, the iPhone X needs new clothes. Here are the best and/or most interesting iPhone 8 cases so far.

What’s this mystery chip inside iPhone X?

By

Right to Repair
Apple's first 5nm chips are expected to ship in iPhone and iPad this year.
Photo: iFixit

Two battery cells and a “mystery chip” are some of the surprises under the hood of the iPhone X.

iFixit added the new Apple flagship handset to its teardown database and disassembled one to give users a glimpse of the X’s inner magic.

With iPhone X, Apple reinvents the camera. Again.

By

iPhone camera
Sure you can take pictures with it. But the iPhone X shows the future of the camera will have little to do with the photographic image.
Photo: Apple

Each generation of iPhone has brought with it a camera more amazing than the last. As users ogled over higher resolution, bigger sensors and new computational features, few saw the device’s evolution as more than just the making of a better camera.

But the iPhone X gives the camera a new job description — it’s not just a photography specialist anymore. How iPhone cameras function in the future will have little to do with the photographic image. And the iPhone X previews the innovations to come.

Apple’s latest acquisition could be game changer for iPhone camera

By

sensor technology
An iPhone 6 shooting along side a camera modified with a Quantum Film Sensor in 2015.
Photo: InVisage/YouTube

Apple has reportedly bought a California startup that developed new image sensor technology that could boost the iPhone’s photo and video capability.

A news website that covers the digital imaging space reported on Apple acquisitions of InVisage, citing unnamed sources that said the deal was completed in July. Some former InVisage employees are already working in Cupertino, according to the report.

Apple plans to appeal $439.7 million loss to patent troll

By

FaceTime
VirnetX strikes again!
Photo: Apple

Apple has been ordered to pay a patent troll $439.7 million after losing the final ruling in the case being heard by the US District Court.

The legal battle between Apple and VirnetX is far from over though the company says. Even though it lost the ruling related to patented technology used in FaceTime, Apple says it plans to appeal the court’s ruling.

Why iPhone 7 might be outselling iPhone 8

By

iPHone 7 sales
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus is still selling well, according to wireless carriers.
Photo: Ste Smith/CultofMac

The iPhone 8 line may be Apple’s latest and greatest, but so far has not kept up with older, better-selling sibling, the iPhone 7.

Carrier store surveys conducted by KeyBanc Capital Markets suggests the iPhone 7 handsets are bucking history by outselling the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. Several respondents claimed the iPhone 8 models were not enough of an upgrade, while others are waiting to compare the 8 to the iPhone X. The iPhone X will ship next month.