Top stories - page 581

At the most essential level, a running app should provide a reliable way to log your workouts: when, where, how fast and how far you run. Fancy features are all very well and good, but let’s be honest — if an app doesn’t get the basics right, it sucks.

Nike has been busy adding new bells and whistles to its Nike+ Run Club app recently. Which is great if you want stuff like photo sharing and news feeds. But all I want is to log my runs, and thanks to my Apple Watch Nike+, that critical function has become pretty unreliable.

Drones are getting more and more common, but they haven’t become any less cool. Sitting at the sweet spot between affordability and awesomeness is DJI, makers of the uber popular Phantom and Mavic drones. You’ve seen them before, they’re the drones that look like they flew straight from the future. Now you can get one of these two drones, among the best money can buy, for no money. Enter to win a DJI Phantom 4 Pro or Mavic for free at Cult of Mac Deals.

As a pioneer of personal computing, Apple’s first machines changed the way we looked at computers. In the years that followed, the company broke new ground with incredible innovations that its rivals couldn’t have dreamed of.

Things have been a little different over the past decade or so. Apple’s innovations haven’t been quite as forthcoming, and while some would say its rivals are catching up, others would argue that the PC industry as a whole has become somewhat boring.

So, why has personal computing gone stagnant? Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we battle it out!

The long wait for Apple’s new BeatsX wireless earbuds is finally over and based on our first impressions, it was totally worth it.

We got our hands on a pair of the precious new BeatsX buds today and are mighty impressed by the big sound Apple managed to pack in such a small package. Like the AirPods, the BeatsX earbuds pack a custom W1 Bluetooth chip to pump out better performance and connectivity. Unboxing the tethered buds has been love at first sight.

Let’s dive in!

The internet brims with knockoff Apple Watch bands that are nearly as good as the real deal at a fraction of the price. Determining whether a knockoff is actually any good, however, is another story.

I’ve taken a look at one such band by Cambond, which mimics in appearance the popular Milanese loop by Apple. Retailing at $149, the Milanese is indeed pricey as are most of Apple’s bands whereas Cambond’s version is about 10 bucks.

As the hub of all our contacts and conversations, Apple Mail has the makings of a great personal assistant. MailButler realizes that potential, tapping Apple Mail to help make you more efficient and productive. The easy to use plug-in simplifies, optimizes, and streamlines and makes more useful one of our most used apps. And right now is your last chance to get MailButler for just $34.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Some iPhone 7 owners are reporting that the black matte finish on their handset has started chipping away, leaving bare aluminum exposed.

It seems the larger iPhone 7 Plus is more susceptible to the problem, which some users are experiencing despite having always used a case. Apple says the issue is purely cosmetic.

Apple has delayed the LG UltraFine 5K Display while it awaits new units that are not susceptible to interference from Wi-Fi routers. The company has also blocked stores from selling existing stock, leaving fans to wait 5-6 weeks for new orders.

WhatsApp is today making its new two-step verification feature available to all.

Once enabled, WhatsApp will require you to enter a six-digit passcode when you attempt to verify your phone number.

You’ve got your car. You’ve got your iPhone. You want to use your iPhone in your car, but driving with a smartphone in your hand is supposedly dangerous — and can get pretty pricey if you get caught doing it in California and other states that mandate hands-free driving.

The Belkin Car Vent Mount is a low-cost, low-profile way to keep your phone within reach (and you on the right side of the law, depending on where you drive).

You don’t need a pricey gym membership to get in shape. With the CultFit Home Workout routine, you’ll use simple exercises, common household items and your iPhone (and Apple Watch if you’ve got one) to build muscle and increase flexibility.

It’s free, it’s easy and it takes only about 10 minutes a day. So what are you waiting for? Get started with the complete CultFit Home Workout using the four lessons below.

iCloud has been caught storing “deleted” browser history from Safari for well over a year.

Even after users clear their data, it can be found in iCloud using software that’s readily available to anyone. But has Apple been quickly trying to clear its tracks?

According to a reliable Apple analyst, the company will release three new iPhones this year — including a redesigned iPhone 8 (or iPhone X) and two iterative iPhone 7 updates.

All three models will reportedly boast new Apple wireless charging tech, rather than the feature being limited to a high-end OLED handset.

After spreading viruses among Windows PCs for years, malicious Microsoft Word documents are now infecting Macs.

The files contain a macro that silently executes in the background and downloads an application that can monitor webcams, steal passwords, read browser history and more.

Make Apple’s most personal device as unique as you are with a truly distinctive, statement-making strap worthy of a double take. The exotic Batik Strap for Apple Watch from Clessant is a refreshing take on an everyday accessory. No two are ever alike. And, you can get ahold of it now in Cult of Mac’s new Watch Store!

Alex Jason, the Maine teenager who used lawn-mowing money to build one of the most impressive collections of rare and historical Apple devices, recently packed it all in a 26-foot truck and made a heartbreaking trip to deliver it to a new owner.

The dream of creating a museum with the collection had hit a snag. Alex had the building and even an impressive board of directors that included Mac designer Jerry Manock. But raising capital to renovate the site proved near impossible in sparsely populated Maine.

The iPhone user base is expected to surpass 1 billion units by 2019, according to new estimates.

Growth is so healthy right now that analysts expect the number of active users to be around 80 percent bigger when iPhone 8 goes on sale this fall than it was when the iPhone 6 arrived in September 2014.

Who said the iPhone had already reached its peak?

Our computers are great at keeping all our data and documents in one place, but when it comes to staying organized we’re on our own. Not so with DEVONthink Pro, which uses a built-in AI to learn our habits and float the most useful files and information in real time.

It’s like having a personal assistant for dealing with documents and large amounts of data. And right now you can get DEVONthink Pro for just $39.95 at Cult of Mac Deals.

Japanese iPhone display maker Sharp will reportedly be taking the lead on a new $7 billion factory in the U.S., produced with partner company Foxconn.

The plant could break ground as soon as the first half of this year.

Microsoft has started testing support for the MacBook Pro’s new Touch Bar in Office. Preview testers can enjoy it in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook starting this week — and it’s scheduled to rollout to everyone in the coming months.

Worried that prying eyes are reading your sexts on the subway? You can make your iPhone’s display unreadable to everyone but you with a Peek Screen 2.0 protector.

It’s just one of the awesome projects in this week’s Crowdfund Roundup. We’ve also got a solar-powered lantern doubles as a phone charger, the world’s first non-contact sleep monitor for babies, and more!

Apple’s next-generation MacBook Pros with Intel Kaby Lake processors have been all but confirmed by references in the latest macOS beta release.

Files point to a trio of new machines that are likely to make their debut in the coming months, succeeding the existing models powered by Skylake CPUs.

The inside of Apple’s forthcoming “spaceship” campus — now entering the final stages of construction — demonstrates typically Apple level of design perfectionism, according to a new report.

Apple’s demands for the project reportedly include rules that no vents or pipework be reflected in the massive glass windows which run around the campus. There are also copious details on the special wood used throughout the building, nitpicks about minimalist signage, and much, much more.

Dozens of popular iOS apps are vulnerable to spilling your sensitive data through silent “man-in-the-middle” attacks, according to a reliable mobile security expert.

During testing, Will Strafach, one of the first to hack open the iOS platform, found 76 apps that were guilty of accepting invalid certificates that could be used to intercept data.

iPhone 7’s improved iSight camera has a wider f/1.8 aperture lens that lets in more light. Coupled with optical image stabilization, it’s better than ever for shooting in darker environments — as Apple demonstrates in its new iPhone 7 ad titled “One Night.”