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.
The IOGear Share Pro takes the place of a huge HDMI cable, and plugs right into your MacBook. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Wirelessly connecting a MacBook to a TV is a snap with the IOGear Share Pro. It uses the computer’s USB-C port to stream video to a screen up to 60 feet away, no wires needed.
I fully tested this accessory. Dive in to see how it preforms in regular use.
Anyone hoping to give AirPods Pro as a Valentine’s Day gift can expect to go through some hassle to get them on time. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Order AirPods Pro today from Apple.com and they won‘t arrive before March 3. And other online retailers are also out of stock. Apple has struggled to meet demand for these wireless earbuds since they launched, and there’s no sign it’s catching up.
That said, there’s a way many people can get AirPods Pro without a wait.
Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet shows the crazy world of a game production company. Photo: Apple
The debut of Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet is Friday, and Apple TV+ released a sneak peek of this comedy about developers at a video game company. The actors discuss how their wildly-divergent characters create the humor in this show.
Even the 18-port version of the HyperDrive GEN2 multiport hub isn’t much bigger than an iPhone. Photo: Sanho
Sanho’s new HyperDrive GEN2 multiport hub doubles the data transfer speed, doubles the amount of power delivered, and doubles the video refresh rate compared to its predecessor.
And this USB-C hub truly takes the term “multi-port” to heart — there are versions with 6 ports, 12 ports and 18 ports.
Secret Oops! puts its virtual 3D game board in your living room. Screenshot: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Mix a bumbling spy, a secret base, and a lot of augmented reality and you’ll get Secret Oops!, the latest addition to Apple Arcade. This innovative children’s game from MixedBag shows a virtual 3D game board in the real world through the magic of AR.
I explored the possibilities of Secret Oops!; read on to see what I found.
Keep an inept agent alive in Secret Oops!, an augmented-reality title on Apple Arcade. Photo: Apple/Mixedbag
Secret Oops! is an innovative augmented-reality game that asks players to save the world’s dumbest spy. Guide Special Agent Charles through an AR landscape, with multiple players using an iPhone or iPad to see the same virtual board in the real world.
The days every iPhone has a Lightning port may well be numbered. Photo: Kristal Chan/Cult of Mac
In a move that seems squarely aimed at killing Apple’s Lightning port, a large majority of the European Parliament voted in favor of establishing a common charger standard for mobile devices.
This is only a step in a process that is likely to see the Lightning connector banned from devices sold in Europe, but it’s a significant one.
The first 10.2-inch iPad brought a surge of iPad sales. Photo: Apple
Apple has a real hit on its hands with the 10.2-inch iPad it launched last fall. It helped push Apple to a 22.7% year-over-year increase in tablet shipments last quarter, according to a market-research firm.
iPadOS devices continue to vastly outsell all their rivals, and Apple increased its lead in the final three months of 2019.
A single Apple TV+ subscription can be played on a wide variety of Apple computers. Photo: Apple
A free year of Apple TV+ goes to everyone who buys a new iPhone, Mac or iPad. But time to sign up for this deal is running out for those who made their purchase just before the launch of Apple’s streaming video service.
The US Air Force’s MQ-9 Reaper can surveillance targets and strike them. Apple apparently doesn’t want any part of that. Photo: US Air Force
Before Xnor.ai was acquired by Apple, the startup was working with the US military on Project Maven, a controversial Artificial Intelligence project related to drone imagery. That collaboration stopped when Apple purchased the company, according to an unconfirmed report.
Apple nabbed a Netflix high-level engineer with years of experience. Photo: Apple
Ruslan Meshenberg made the jump to Apple TV+ after leaving Netflix, a top rival of Apple’s new streaming service. As the former VP of Productivity Engineering, he brings years of experience to a platform that’s still getting off the ground.
“Truth Be Told” on Apple TV+ was the fourth most popular streaming show to debut last quarter. Photo: Apple
Apple TV+ shows are drawing plenty of attention, according to a market-analysis firm. Six of the ten most popular streaming series premiering last quarter were reportedly made by Apple.
Until real Apple Stores open in India, this is what customers have to use instead. Photo: Lawrence Sinclair/Flickr CC
Apple’s first retail store in India reportedly won‘t open in time for the launch of the 2020 iPhone. And even online sales allegedly won’t begin until the second half of this year.
There have supposedly been problems in Apple’s efforts to begin selling iPhones and other devices directly to consumers in India.
A dive into Apple’s most recent financial results shows what’s really happening with the company. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple pulled in more revenue and profits last quarter than it ever has before. These numbers were buoyed by strong iPhone and wearable sales. But the news isn’t all good.
Check out these charts that show with a glance how the company made its money last quarter.
Chargeasap Flash powerbank uses Tesla graphene battery cells for faster charges. Photo: Chargeasap
Chargeasap Flash holds 20,000 mAh, and can transfer that power to MacBooks at up to 100W. This newly-released powerbank sports USB-C and USB-A ports, and even wireless charging for Apple Watch.
At its heart are four Tesla Lithium Polymer Graphene Composite Battery Cells.
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad 10 years ago today. It wasn‘t good news for Microsoft. Photo: Apple
Steven Sinofsky has an unusual perspective on the iPad. On the the 10th anniversary of Apple unveiling this tablet computer, the former president of the Windows Division at Microsoft looks back at his reaction to this breakthrough computer.
Boys State looks at American democracy through the eyes of teens. Photo: Mile End Films
Boys State enjoyed standing ovations at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend. And Apple liked it so much, it bought the rights to this political coming-of-age story.
Apple TV+ could become the new home of James Bond. Photo: MGM/Cult of Mac
Everything on Apple TV+ today was released in the past few months. But Apple is reportedly in talks to buy MGM, which would bring a catalogue of classic and modern movies to the iPhone maker’s streaming video service.
Hardware changes in the 2020 iPad and iPhone could noticeably improve augmented reality’s usefulness. Photo: Apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook called augmented reality “the next big thing” this week. But he kept quiet about his company’s specific plans for this emerging technology. So Cult of Mac reached out to industry analysts, who predict that this year’s iPhone and iPad will come with AR equipment built in. And, for the future, they’re optimistic about Apple’s rumored AR glasses.
Older models like the iPhone 6S Plus will reportedly get an iOS 14 upgrade. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
iOS 14 almost certainly won’t be unveiled before June, but information leaking out of Apple indicates this next version will offer very wide compatibility for current devices.
News about iPadOS 14 compatibility isn’t quite as good.
Apple is doing what it can to help those affected by the Wuhan coronavirus epidemic. Photo: Cult of Mac
Thousands of people in China contracted the Wuhan coronavirus, and several cities are been locked down in attempts to keep it from spreading during the Lunar New Year. Apple CEO Tim Cook promises his company will donate to relief efforts in China.
This could be a sneak peek at the 2020 iMac. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
The design of the iMac hasn’t changed much in over a decade, but Apple is considering a radical facelift. A proposed future model would consist of a pane of glass that surrounds the display, then curves forward to hold a keyboard and a pair of trackpads.
Mix food fights with Fortnite to get Butter Royale. Photo: Mighty Bear Games
Plenty of games drop players into an arena to battle friends or rivals over the internet, but Butter Royale takes a much lighter tone than most. It’s a food fight, not a desperate struggle for survival.
This game for players age 9 and up debuted today on Apple Arcade.
The Doqo keyboard with 12.9-inch iPad Pro has advantages even over a MacBook. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Anyone who longs for the days when MacBooks came with tons of ports can look to the Doqo, an iPad Pro keyboard case that includes a pair of USB-A ports, HDMI, memory card readers, and more. There’s also a trackpad and full-size keyboard. This could be the touchscreen laptop you’ve been hoping for.
I’ve extensively used the Doqo keyboard with a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and explore its advantages and problems in this review.