Apple has lost 21 percent of its value over the past year. Photo: The Dark Knight, Warner Bros.
Apple stock opened morning trading today below $100, marking the first time it has dipped below this level since October 2014 — shortly after Apple introduced the iPhone 6.
HTC’s iPhone clone was missing one thing when it made its debut last October: a pink paint job. Now it’s gone one, giving Android fans a near-identical alternative to the rose gold iPhone 6s.
Ubuntu running on my Macbook Pro -- beautiful. Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
Have you ever wanted to try out a different operating system on your Mac? Ever since Apple started using Intel chips in their computers, it’s been super simple to run Windows and even popular Linux distributions via Boot Camp, virtual environments like Parallels and VMWare Fusion, and the like.
The problem is that you need to use up precious system resources to run these things on your Mac. Even virtual machines take up disk space, as does running Boot Camp and partitioning your main Hard drive. What if you just want to test something out on your Mac before fully committing?
Turns out it’s fairly easy to run Linux on your Mac without using up any bit of your hard drive. Using a flash drive and some Terminal commands, you can check out a distribution like Ubuntu running right on your Mac without having to sacrifice a thing. Here’s how.
When your standard smoke or carbon monoxide detector starts shrieking, the Leeo Smart Alert leaps into action. Photo:Traci Dauphin
If you’ve ever lived through a house fire, you know how devastating it can be. The fear of fire leaves many homeowners anxious, especially when they are away from home. The Leeo Smart Alert is here to save the day.
LAS VEGAS — The makers of a powerful new battery pack called the iTron claim it can be fully charged to 9,000 mAh in an astonishing 18 minutes. Even better, in just three short minutes, it slurps up enough power to recharge an iPhone 6.
To make the package even more enticing, the quick-juicing battery pack charges on a dock that offers three USB ports, so it can become a full-blown charging station for multiple devices.
LAS VEGAS — Who says everything at CES is rubbish?
Well, yeah, there’s a lot crap, but that’s why we’re here — to rummage through the rubbish and find the best stuff.
And we found plenty: smart footballs and running shorts that improve your game and gait; a coffee mug that instantly cools coffee that’s too hot; and a speaker system that uses all the iPhones in a room to create a distributed, shared sound system that sounds better than you’d imagine.
Walt Mossberg has had his say on what Apple needs to fix most: its software.
Now it’s your turn to weigh in with your own opinion–which specific software should Apple fix? We’ve created two polls for you to express your opinion, one for OS X on the Mac and one for iOS on the iPhone and iPad.
Is Apple Mail giving you fits on your Mac? Does Photos on your iPad not fill you with joy? Let us know in the polls below.
If we missed the software you think should be in Apple’s sights for fixing, let us know in the comments.
Remix OS has a dedicated desktop UI. Photo: Jide Technology
Android has long been available on desktops in some form, but it has never been done right. That’s going to change later this month with Remix OS, a platform that brings Android to almost any Mac and PC — and makes it usable by adding a familiar desktop interface.
The first is a charger for their 20-pound battery packs; the second is a website that lets wannabe owners nominate their hometowns to become Gogoro hubs.
Easily clear out your iPhone's hidden files to release gigs of needlessly wasted storage. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Behind your iPhone’s sleek exterior is a messy interior life, the electronic equivalent of beer can pyramids and old pizza boxes. iMyfone is there to clean up your iPhone’s (or iPad’s or iPod’s) act, cleaning out your device’s digital junk drawers and freeing up space that shouldn’t have been taken up to begin with. It’s a surefire way to kick your mobile’s hoarding habit for $15.99.
Gear S2 will play in Apple’s back yard. Photo: Samsung
Samsung is making its Gear S2 smartwatch compatible with iPhone to give it an even great chance at competing with Apple Watch and Android Wear. Its latest wearable will get an update later this year that will make it iPhone-friendly.
Walt Mossberg speaking with Steve Jobs back in the day. Photo: Joi Ito/Flickr CC
Walt Mossberg was Steve Jobs’ favorite critic, and has long been one of the most respected Apple analysts out there — with some people even arguing that he can be too forgiving when it comes to Cupertino’s mistakes.
But in a new article about what tech companies should do to improve in 2016, Mossberg has no problem taking aim at something a lot of people view as Apple’s big weakness right now: its software.
The App Store was a massive success over the holiday season. Photo: PhotoAtelier/Flickr CC
Apple had a record-breaking holiday season for the App Store, with customers spending over $1.1 billion on apps and in-app purchases in the two weeks culminating on January 3.
The first day of 2016 alone accounted for more than $144 million — smashing the previous one-day record, which was set just one week earlier on Christmas day.
Sony's Glass Sound Speaker shines a new light on portable audio. Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac
LAS VEGAS — For all Sony’s talk about high-definition audio and video during its CES press conference, the company’s most intriguing new product is a weird glass speaker with LED lights that looks something like a tubular hurricane lamp.
Called the Glass Sound Speaker, it’s a refreshing twist on the ordinary Bluetooth speaker that is certain to add a unique ambiance to any room. I’m not sure how it sounds, but its soothing, candle-like glow practically screams sophistication.
CloudMagic is now available on your desktop. Photo: CloudMagic
For managing multiple mail accounts on the go, nothing beats the brilliant CloudMagic. It packs everything you need in an email app — and a whole lot more — and supports almost every mail service you can throw at it. And now it’s finally available on your Mac!
Wake up and smell the ... whatever. Photo: Sensorwake
LAS VEGAS — There was a whole lot of sniffing going on at the Sensorwake booth here at CES Unveiled. The first olfactory alarm clock promises a kinder, gentler start to mornings, using scents instead of noise to wake up sleepyheads.
The quirky gadget couldn’t be any simpler: Set the alarm and wake up to one of six dry-air infused cartridges. Sensorwake is similar to a Glade Plugin but with cooler scents. It’s made by a French company, so it pumps out crazy European aromas.
The Prizm smart music player thinks it knows what you want to hear, no matter what you're doing. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Music can set the mood for everything and the Prizm, a new music player described as “the music brain,” is hoping to reinvent the way we listen to music.
It listens to sounds in the room you’re in and identifies who’s in the room, then selects the perfect track for the situation. Lots of people making noise late at night? Prizm thinks it’s party time and plays techno music. Nothing but heavy breathing or kissing sounds? It’s time for some Barry White.
Get ready for a future in which you can tweet the entire Declaration of Independence. Photo: Jennie/Flickr CC
Say goodbye to the 140-character limit that made Twitter famous and say hello to something much longer. According to a report, Twitter is getting ready to launch a new feature that will let users include as many as 10,000 characters in one tweet — 9,860 more than before.
Faraday's FFZero1 is out of this world. Photo: Faraday
No, that car you see above is not a real Batmobile — but it is just as exciting. Built by Faraday Future, the FFZero1 is a concept smart car that’s back from the future, with a 1,000-horsepower electric engine that goes from zero to 60mph in under three seconds.
The Laserband 82 uses lasers to regrow your mane. Photo: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac
LAS VEGAS — Can you use lasers to regrow hair?
The folks at HairMax are at CES 2016 to show that yes, it is totally possible to stimulate hair follicles to regrow your skimpy, thinning head of hair into a thick, furry mane. However, there is a catch: You have to have the right type of baldness.
The LaserBand 82 brings laser revitalization to the home with its 82 medical-grade lasers that provide a full treatment for hair loss in 90 seconds. Cult of Mac caught up with HairMax at CES, the largest orgy of tech gadgetry in the world, to get a heads-on look at the funky futuristic headgear.
Learn to build iOS 9 apps with 20 hands-on examples. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
These days, coding for mobile is one of the most valuable professional skills you can acquire. If you want in on the action but didn’t spend your teen years coding a the console, you’ll need help getting your hands dirty with the nitty gritty of mobile development. That’s exactly what this course provides, offering the chance to build 20 hands-on iOS 9 apps, an invaluable learning experience that’s just $19.
Fitbit Blaze is bigger and better than its siblings. Photo: Fitbit
Fitbit has upped its game to take on Apple Watch and Android Wear with a brand new fitness tracker called Blaze. It packs a premium, smartwatch-like design with color display, and it promises to run for up to five days in between charges.
LastPass, one of the best and most popular password-management clients, just got a major upgrade that brings a fancy new look, emergency access for trusted friends, and revamped password sharing through the new Sharing Center.
The Vuze is a VR camera that captures scenes in 360-degrees. It'll be sold as a kit that includes a headset, and it's pretty cool. Photo: Leander Kahney / Cult of Mac
LAS VEGAS — CES 2016 is about to kick off. The world’s biggest consumer electronics show, which is held each January in Las Vegas, starts this week. At a press preview Monday night, we got a peek at some of the industry’s latest, greatest offerings.
Here’s some of the stuff we think is pretty cool. Check out a cocktail robot, a monster Wi-Fi router that promises to eliminate dead spots, and a fixed-wing drone that flies like a hawk.
Reboot your Apple TV with style. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Is your Apple TV glitching out in some way? While I’ve not personally seen any weirdness with the rock-solid OS that comes with the Apple TV, it’s possible that you might have.
As most of us know, rebooting our Mac or restarting our iOS devices can save us from all sorts of odd behaviors; the same could be said of Apple TV. Here’s how to restart that little black box of joy, plus an easy way to get it into low-power sleep mode.