Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
Trust Dr. Boom when he says, “Driving a racing car round an exploding race track is a pretty hazardous thing to do.” Photo: Electric Square
Detonation Racing bills itself as “the most dangerous, least sensible racing series ever devised.” Gameplay involves skillfully maneuvering around a track, but also maybe throwing a nuclear submarine at your opponents.
You probably can’t guess one of the reasons why Apple wants people to stop leaking the specifications of upcoming iPhone models. Image: the Hacker 34/Cult of Mac
Apple hates it when people leak details about its upcoming devices. No surprise there. But an order to stop spreading rumors about unreleased iPhone models that the company reportedly sent to a Chinese citizen gives an unexpected reason.
iPad shipments last quarter are up about 50% from where they were two years ago. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
iPad sales kicked onto high gear in 2020 and haven’t slowed down since. In the April-through-June quarter of 2021,
Apple shipped around 15 million tablets, roughly 50% higher than shipments in the same period two years ago.
macOS Big Sur 11.5.1, iOS 14.7.1 and iPadOS 14.7.1 each take care of the same dangerous bug. Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Three of Apple’s biggest products received security patches Monday — and another got its version on Thursday. You should probably install them as soon as possible.
The company started with macOS Big Sur 11.5.1, iOS 14.7.1, and iPadOS 14.7.1 to fix a security hole reportedly used by at least one hacker already. That’s why they are “recommended for all users,” according to Apple.
Apple followed up Thursday by releasing watchOS 7.6.1 to patch the same bug on Apple Watch. It’s also recommended.
GarageBand now includes an expanded Sound Library with new Sound Packs from top artists and music producers. Graphic: Apple
Apple wants to help people get over the hump of learning art of music remixing with its free GarageBand application for iPad and iPhone. Two new Remix Sessions offer step-by-step video instruction in the app itself. Thy use hit songs from Grammy-winning artists Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga.
Musicians can also now create tracks with seven new Producer Packs full of beats, loops and instruments.
Many of these features are expected to be in the real iPhone 13. Some are just wishes, though. Screenshot: the Hacker 34
The next iPhone is just a couple of months away, but an artist has given us an early glimpse of what it might look like. His iPhone 13 concept combines new features revealed leaks and rumors, but there are also a couple that are just hopes.
Watch his high-quality video to see a handset Apple might unveil soon.
Professional photog Maria Lax shares tips on taking eerie pictures with an iPhone’s Night Mode. Screenshot: Apple
Explore some of the more exotic possibilities of your iPhone’s camera with a free tutorial from a professional photographer. An video Today at Apple session shows how to use Night Mode to take and edit “otherworldly” images.
Apple broke records in multiple types of revenue last quarter, from Macs to Services. And its installed base of user hit a new record, too. Photo: Cult of Mac/EverythingSuperMario
Apple just revealed that its made heaps of money last quarter. It broke all kinds of revenue records, and Mac, iPhone and iPad contributed strongly to the total.
But there are also some dark clouds in Apple future. Read on to get the good news and bad from the company’s most recent financial earnings results.
Apple had another record-breaking quarter, with strong growth in iPhone, Mac, iPad, Services, etc. Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple took in $81.4 billion in revenue during its most recent financial quarter, up 36% from the same quarter of last year. And profits were up as well, with earning per share hitting $1.30.
Market analysts just can’t keep up with how well the iPhone-maker is doing. These results beat expectations handily.
The iPad Air 5 could look quite a bit like its predecessor while also getting upgraded features. Screenshot: Apple
The difference between the current 10.9-inch iPad Air and the 11-inch iPad Pro is relatively slim. And now it seems more of the features of the Pro tablet are moving to the Air. Apple is reportedly going to build on the powerful 2020 model with an iPad Air 5 that offers a dual-lens camera and optional 5G. Plus, the tablet is getting a processor upgrade.
These changes would make it a stronger mid-range tablet in Apple’s product lineup.
Apple isn’t exactly walking back some of the biggest changes in iPadOS 15. But it’s giving users to option to do so. Screenshot: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apparently responding to criticism of the Safari redesign in iPadOS 15, a beta released Tuesday makes significant changes to the layout of the Safari web browser. The newest iteration gives users the option to view the Address Bar very much like it looks in iPadOS 14. But those who prefer can keep the new compact view.
The Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Mini is quite small for something that doubles the battery life of an Phone 12. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Double your iPhone 12’s battery life by attaching the Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Mini. The two devices connect magnetically with Apple’s MagSafe system, and power flows wirelessly. It’s really simple.
I took the 5000 mAh power bank on a recent holiday to truly put it to the test. It came though with flying colors. And it costs far, far less than Apple’s similar MagSafe Power Bank.
The next iPad mini could have a larger display than any of its predecessors. But still stay “mini.” Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The iPad mini 6 screen will increase to 8.3 inches, according to a report from a display industry expert. This is just the latest leak to indicate that Apple is about to dramatically improve the design of its smallest tablet.
A larger screen should make the computer easier and more fun to use. Especially as the whole device will reportedly stay about the same size.
Get your Mac, iPhone and iPad cables in order with TwelveSouth SurfaceSnap. Photo: TwelveSouth
TwelveSouth has an attractive solution for the problem of messy cables stretching across nearly everyone’s desk. SurfaceSnap offers leather bands with button snaps. Attach one or more of these to a desk or table to secure charging and computer cables.
After over a year of delays, the real Facebook Gaming service is available for iPhone and iPad. Image: Cult of Mac
Add Facebook to the list of companies offering a gaming service for iPhone. There’s a lengthy list of titles available on day one, including strategy, role playing, trivia and other types of games.
But don’t look for these in the App Store — Apple’s stringent rules on gaming services caused Facebook Gaming to be introduced as a web app instead.
An iPad mini with a mini-LED screen seems appropriate. Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The 2021 iPad mini will be Apple’s next tablet with a mini-LED display, according to information leaking from a component supplier. This type of screen looks better than the standard LCD used in many current iPads.
But an display industry expert claims there’s no truth to this report.
Even so, Apple allegedly won’t reserved the display tech for tablet much longer. mini-LED displays will also supposedly be used in upcoming MacBook Pro models.
Pretend you got the jetpack you always wanted in Jetpack Joyride+ on Apple Arcade. Photo: Halfbrick Studios
Jetpack Joyride+ launched on Apple Arcade Friday, allowing subscribers to play the classic game without the hassle of in-app purchases.
Strap on a jetpack and fly through an endless runner. Or ride a mechanical dragon or giant mech while wearing a crazy costume — the game offers all these modes.
The fast and rugged OWC Envoy Pro SX is ready to go on the road. Photo: OWC
OWC built Thunderbolt into the new Envoy Pro SX to make the portable drive fast and reliable. And don’t worry if you spill coffee on the SSD — it can take the punishment.
It’s available with up to 2TB of storage, isn’t bulky, and requires no fan.
Twitter asked some iPhone users to test upvoting and downvoting replies to tweets, instead of just liking some. Photo: Twitter
Twitter is running an experiment that lets iPhone users downvote a reply to a tweet. It tests allowing users to actively show that they disagree with a response to a post on the social-networking service.
Twitter is often a venue for people to angrily argue politics, sports, entertainment, etc. Giving people the ability to downvote each other isn’t likely to calm the storm.
A job application Steve Jobs filed out in 1973 is up for auction as an NFT, and as a real document, too. Photo: stevejobsjobapplication.com
We’ll soon find out how the ongoing fascination with Steve Jobs will combine with the new fascination for NFTs. A handwritten job application the Apple cofounder filled out in 1973 is going up for auction both as a physical document and as a Non-Fungible Token.
Oh no. Apple's new MagSafe Battery Pack fails to defy the laws of physics. Image: Cult of Mac
Apple’s just-released MagSafe Battery Pack faced plenty of mockery for not being about as slim as a credit card, as some people apparently expected. This criticism clearly comes from people ignoring an inescapable fact: Batteries are always bulky.
Until there’s a revolutionary breakthrough in power storage tech, there’s no way to make an ultra-slim battery store a useful amount of power. Stop expecting it. And stop criticizing companies for not miraculously producing an impossible product.
No more betas. You can update your computer(s) to macOS Big Sur 11.5 and/or iPadOS 14.7. Photo: Cult of Mac
Both macOS Big Sur 11.5 and iPadOS 14.7 made the jump from beta to full release on Wednesday. They bring only a handful of new features, though, as well as bug fixes.
The Satechi Aluminum Stand & Hub has what you need to make your iPad Pro or Air into a portable desktop. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Satechi Aluminum Stand & Hub turns your iPad into a useful desktop. Not only does it prop up your tablet, it includes six useful ports. And it goes almost anywhere, from a meeting room to a coffee shop.
I’ve used the tablet stand for weeks, including on a recent vacation. Here’s why I love it… despite a limitation or two.
Jon Stewart's new parody video is so full of NSFW images we had to go with this one. Screenshot: Jon Stewart
Although The Problem with Jon Stewart doesn’t premiere on Apple TV+ until September, the comedian couldn’t let Jeff Bezos’ and Richard Branson’s personal space race go by without comment. Stewart posted a video Tuesday making fun of billionaires competing to see who can shoot off a better rocket.
The humor isn’t subtle. Many jokes have been made about how much Bezos’ New Shepard rocket looks like a penis, and Stewart takes the idea and runs with it. If watching a video of giant space penises is going to get you in trouble at work, maybe you’d better wait until you get home to see this one.
Tetris Beat isn’t your parents’ version of the game. Photo: Apple Arcade
Take Tetris and give it some rhythm and you get Tetris Beat, a fresh version of the puzzle classic. It includes music from Alison Wonderland and many other artists.