A new video mockup shows how Force Touch might work on the iPhone 6s, the less-expensive Apple smartphone expected to hit shelves next month.
Given that we’ve already seen how Force Touch is implemented on the Apple Watch and MacBook, this neat conceptual video shows some of the many ways we may use the technology in new iPhones.
Apple Music now offers replays of several Beats 1 shows through a feature called Beats 1 Replays.
These full replays aren’t particularly easy to find, but here’s how you can locate them and catch up with shows you’ve missed in their entirety.
MadeWorn made a name for itself putting insanely detailed engravings on expensive Rolexes for celebrities willing to shell out thousands of dollars for the custom timepieces. Now the Los Angeles-based company has put founder and artist Blaine Halvorson’s touch on the Apple Watch — and it looks absolutely crazy.
Apple’s creation of the Beats 1 radio station has been one of the best parts about the company’s new Apple Music streaming service, but it might not be Apple’s only station for much longer.
As part of the deal Apple signed with major labels ahead of launch, Apple Music has the option to expand its lineup of Beats radio stations nearly at will, according to a new report citing sources with knowledge of the situation.
Apple seeded a new beta of OS X El Capitan yesterday, and now the company is making the same software available to its public beta testers.
The fourth El Capitan public beta comes less than a week after Apple released the last one. And while it’s light on major new features, it comes with a bunch of bug fixes and performance improvements.
We should pity the astronauts on the International Space Station, especially the two who are currently there for a year.
Just feet away from where they probably drink their Tang, the Japanese Experiment Module will soon hold samples of that country’s legendary Suntory whiskey to see how it ages in microgravity.
Suntory announced last week that it was sending whiskey samples on a Japanese transfer vehicle that will take off on Aug. 16 to rendezvous with the ISS. Some of the whiskey will be stored for up to two years to see how it mellows in space.
New 5K 27-inch iMacs and a 4K 21.5-inch model are almost certainly on the the way, according to code discovered in yesterday’s sixth OS X El Capitan beta.
An in-depth look at the latest version of El Capitan reveals three new files referencing the new Mac resolutions, while an accompanying image suggests the exterior design of the machines will remain largely unchanged from current models.
OK, play time is over. Last week’s article on five things to do with your obsolete Apple TV was meant to bring some light humor to your day, but we heard your comments loud and clear. Many of you looking for legitimate tips on what to do with an old Apple TV felt misled by the headline when you wound up scrolling through a sarcastic list. For that, we apologize. I apologize.
But we’re not all talk and no action at Cult of Mac. Without further ado, here is an actual list of nine things – four extras because we like you a lot – that you can do with your old or soon-to-be-obsolete Apple TV. For real this time. Seriously.
Most luxury watch makers are desperately coming up with a plan to keep traditional watch wearers from upgrading to Apple’s decadent smartwatch, but California-based Nico Gerard has decided to follow the age-old adage, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
For the company’s new Pinnacle line of Swiss timepieces launching on Monday, the watch maker has created a special bracelet that lets you slap a 38mm Apple Watch to the inside of your wrist. It’s like the mullet of smartwatches, business in the front, party in the back.
Check it out:
Luke Skywalker is earnest, fiercely serious and seems to lack the sense of humor of, say, Han Solo.
But the force behind Skywalker, actor Mark Hamill, is as funny as Jabba the Hutt is fat.
Hamill’s mark on comedy is in his writings to fans on old Star Wars trading cards. He likes to quickly craft a funny sentence to go with the scene on the card, followed by an artfully penned signature.
In a card titled The Search for Vader, Hamill writes: “This Vader guy is a loser . . . Hope he doesn’t have kids!”
Apple has touted the Mac’s resistance to viruses for decades as a selling point over Windows PCs, but a team of researchers have created a new firmware worm for Mac that might just make you want to go back to doing work on good old pencil and paper.
Two white-hat hackers discovered that several vulnerabilities affecting PC makers can also bypass Apple’s renowned security to wreak havoc on Mac firmware. The two created a proof-of-concept of the worm called Thunderstrike 2 that allows firmware attacks to be spread automatically from Mac to Mac. Devices don’t even need to be networked for the worm to spread, and once it’s infected your machine the only way to remove it is to open up your Mac and manually reflash the chip.
Here’s a preview of Thunderstrike 2 in action:
Each month, Lust List rounds up the gear that gives us a fever of 103. August's secret rendezvous includes a stealthy Bluetooth speaker, a smartwatch that's not made by Apple, sweet Star Wars headphones and much more.
This stealthy little speaker would look right at home next to an inky-black Mac Pro. While most Bluetooth speakers go for a rugged, sporty look — hell, this year's cutest model even comes with a pool-ready float — the HiddenRadio2 will really class up the joint.
The secret is the glossy black dome that slides up an inch when you touch the top of the HiddenRadio2. A sensor in the sleek cover lets you adjust your music's volume, jump between tracks or answer phone calls, with nary a button to be seen. It's not the loudest speaker you'll ever hear, and at just 5 inches tall and 3.5 inches wide, it's not designed to pump out the bass like bigger speakers.
Instead, it's all about subtlety, clean lines and that aforementioned class. The audio is crisp and vibrant, whether you're streaming AC/DC or a Bartok cello concerto, and the utterly clutter-free design makes the HiddenRadio2 truly remarkable. Currently on sale for $179, it comes in glossy black, platinum silver and a pricier gunmetal. It'll bring a smile to your face every time you fire it up, and I can't wait till the promised apps (for iOS and Android) arrive to give HiddenRadio2 even more subtle powers. — Lewis Wallace
Buy from: Hidden
The iPhone may not yet sport an ultra-tough sapphire display, but don’t think Apple’s handsets are by any means delicate.
A 74-year-old Texas businessman recently expressed his amazement after his iPhone fell 9,300 feet during a flight from Houston — and miraculously survived.
Attention: jailbreakers and would-be jailbreakers!
TaiG, the Chinese jailbreaking team that has been thanked in Apple patch notes for exposing iOS vulnerabilities, has just released a new jailbreak tool for Mac that will allow you to run unsigned code on any iOS 8.4 device. Hurrah!
It’s the weekend, which means it’s time for Cult of Mac to run down the week’s best apps. From guerrilla filmmaking to guerrilla warfare, and silent messaging apps to RSS readers, we’ve got something for everyone.
Check out our picks below:
This week: why we might be in for big iPad upgrades this year; our expectations for the iPhone 6C; the one feature we hope iPhone 6S will get (but probably won’t); Woz is worried about Skynet again; and… is Apple building a machine for time travel? You’ll have to press play to find out…
Our thanks to HipChat for supporting this episode. HipChat’s team communication app helps all teams work together more effectively, and gets you the information you need faster than email. Get HipChat Plus free for 90 days at hipchat.com/cultofmac.
Show notes ahead, and they’re excellent.
We’ve seen before that changing from Chrome to Safari can make a big difference on your Mac’s battery life.
But if you haven’t switched from Chrome or Firefox to Safari yet, this fact might change your mind: If you’re a MacBook user, you’re losing an average of one hour of total battery life by using anything but Safari.
Looking for a fun weekend project? Got 36 iMac boxes lying around? Make yourself an iMac hamster wheel.
Using a running app to log your workouts is a great way to track your progress and stay motivated. But have you considered who actually owns the workout data you are logging?
If you ever decide to switch apps, you might be in for a surprise. While some services, like Strava, make it easy to transfer your data, with others it can be difficult or even impossible.
If you’ve been having problems with Apple Music and iCloud Music Library incorrectly matching songs in your library, you’re far from the only one. It turns out the reason is that Apple Music doesn’t use the same method for matching songs you own as iTunes Match does. This results in significantly more errors and frustrated users.
Though iTunes Match used acoustic fingerprinting to identify songs you own and match them for all of your devices, Apple Music uses the metadata of those songs. That means if you change something as simple as the title and artist, it could match to an entirely different song despite the unchanged audio.
We know Apple will launch its iPhone 6s and 6s Plus this fall — you can bet your house on it — but what we don’t know is whether it will be accompanied by an iPhone 6c. For months it looked like the smaller, more affordable model was set to return, however, a recent report said Apple has scrapped that plan.
But does Apple really need an iPhone 6c?
The Cupertino company makes billions every quarter off its flagship models, and it has already stated it has no interest in building “cheap” devices to grab market share in emerging markets. But what about those who want a flagship iPhone that’s small enough to use with one hand?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we take it to a debate!
Who would’ve thought emojis could prove so controversial?
Following on from the yellow skin color accusations and Russian LGBT emojis attempted banning, the nonprofit group New Yorkers Against Gun Violence (NYAGV) has launched a new hashtag entitled #DisarmTheiPhone — calling for Apple to “remove the gun emoji [from iOS] and take a stand for stricter gun accessibility in America.”
Check out a video for the campaign below:
For me, it’s the burning question of 2015: “Should I buy an Apple Watch?”
As editor and publisher of Cult of Mac, everybody’s always asking me if Apple’s smartwatch is a must-buy. The simple answer is there’s no simple answer, for reasons that might surprise you.
The long-rumored update for Apple TV will launch soon, according to a new report that claims Cupertino will launch its radically new set-top box — with thoroughly upgraded hardware and software — in September.
Steve Jobs was famously opposed to including a stylus with the iPad, but even he might have changed his mind had he caught a glimpse of the futuristic texture-sensing input device Apple just patented.
According to a pair of patent applications published today, Apple is working on stylus with in-built camera which would allow it to detect the surface over which it is passed and reproduce these textures for the user — even down to replicating the feel of different fabrics.