| Cult of Mac

Apple says it doesn’t have Scott Forstall’s phone number

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Scott Forstall 2
Scott Forstall left Apple in 2012 after the Apple Maps debacle.
Photo: Philosophy Talk

It wasn’t all that long ago that Scott Forstall, Apple’s former SVP of iOS software, was being talked about as a possible CEO successor to Steve Jobs. Then came the disastrous Apple Maps launch in 2012, and Forstall’s subsequent departure from the company.

Forstall has shown up a couple of times since then, but otherwise maintained a low profile. Now, as unearthed by the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit, the Cupertino company says it doesn’t even have a current phone number for Forstall — only a Twitter account and P.O. Box reference.

Apple Maps will let drivers report accidents, speed traps and other hazards

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Apple Maps adds accident reporting in iOS 14.5
Apple Maps in iOS 14.5 will let users report hazards to fellow motorists.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple Maps will start collecting crowd-sourced accident reports when iOS 14.5 is released. The beta version already lets users test sharing the locations of accidents, speed traps and other hazards.

This is hardly cutting edge, of course. Google Waze has included the feature for years.

Ex-Apple mapping cars reportedly up for sale in the UK

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Apple Car
Some of Apple's former mapping cars are up for sale.
Photo: Big Motoring World

Apple has long been rumored to be working on an Apple Car. But if you live in the United Kingdom, you can buy one. Right now. Today. Kind of.

According to Car Dealer Magazine, Apple is selling off some of its fleet of white Subaru Imprezas which have spent the past year driving around the U.K., collecting mapping data for Apple Maps’ “Look Around” feature.

DuckDuckGo offers private driving and walking directions

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DuckDuckGo gets you where you’re going without tracking you.
DuckDuckGo can get you where you’re going without tracking you.
Photo: DuckDuckGo

The privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo added directions to its mapping features. Users can get step-by-step routing info without giving up their privacy.

The mapping data offered by the site comes from Apple’s MapKit JS.

Apple Maps’ fantastic Look Around feature comes to Phoenix

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Phoenix Look Around
Apple's answer to Street View continues to expand to new locations.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Want to check out Chase Field, Wrigley Mansion or the Mystery Castle without actually traveling to Phoenix, Arizona? Thanks to Apple Maps’ Look Around feature, now you can.

As Apple continues to roll out cities supported by its answer to Google Street View, Phoenix joins the list of places you can explore on the ground. (Or, at least, a virtual version of it.)

Apple Maps warns users to self-isolate if they travel internationally

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covid.19.coronavirus.graphic2
Apple is doing its bit to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
Photo: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

With travel picking up again following COVID-19 lockdown, Apple Maps is now alerting users who travel internationally of localized self-isolation guidance.

The feature was pointed out on Twitter by Kyle Seth Gray, who said he received a message after being at the airport. The pop-up notification pointed him to official guidance online. It also included a message that advised Gray to “stay home and watch [his] health for 14 days” in accordance with rules.

We talk 14-inch MacBook Pro and a big Apple Maps update, on The CultCast

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CultCast 442: AirPods with health sensors
Can you handle some hot, hot beta action?
Image: The CultCast

This week on The CultCast: We’ve got more details on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, and Apple Maps gets a new feature that blows us away! Plus: We talk our two-week impressions of iOS 14, and a major Hollywood film is coming to Apple TV+.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

The best hidden features in iOS and iPadOS 14

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Best hidden features in iOS 14
There's a lot more to discover in iOS 14.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2020Apple showcased some major changes and improvements for iOS 14 during its big WWDC 2020 keynote on Monday — and it was just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more that we didn’t get to see.

We’re now discovering what some of those things are, thanks to the first beta release, which is already available to registered developers. Here are our picks for the best hidden features in iOS 14.

macOS 11 Big Sur ushers in sweeping changes to Mac

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WWDC 2020: It's official: The next version of macOS will be called
It's official: The next version of macOS will be called "Big Sur."
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2020 The next Mac operating system, called macOS Big Sur, will bring the biggest design overhaul in nearly two decades, Apple said Monday. In addition to the massive visual upgrades, MacOS Big Sur will usher in huge changes to the Messages, Maps and the Safari web browser.

Apple unveiled the massive changes coming to macOS on Monday during the company’s keynote kicking off this year’s online-only Worldwide Developers Conference.

“This year, we’re taking the macOS experience you love even further,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior VP of software engineering, as he launched into a deep dive into changes coming soon to Mac.