Google this week rolled out a bunch of rather significant updates for Gmail, Meet, and Sheets on iPhone and iPad that add a number of neat new features and improvements. You can download them from the App Store now.
Gmail now offers a Home screen widget that lets you see your inbox at a glance, while Meet now features Picture in Picture support so you can carry out remote meetings while you continue to do other things on your device.
Apple apparently intends to launch a promised Legacy Contacts feature in the upcoming iOS 15.2 and the iPad equivalent. This will allow friends or family members to access your data after you die.
It will prevent pictures and phone numbers from being permanently locked on an iPhone or iPad if someone passes away without giving out their passcode.
Apple threw a bone to iPhone owners who are also PC users on Wednesday. iCloud for Windows version 13 adds support for Apple ProRes videos and Apple ProRaw photos.
And there are other new features in the free app too, like greater control over iCloud Drive and the ability to generate strong passwords.
Over the past several years, Keychron has gained justifiable fame for its affordable mechanical keyboards, which appeal to a variety of users. Now it plans to release its first mouse, the M1 (not to be confused with Apple’s world-beating Silicon chipset).
Keychron said its M1 mouse comes with the “strongest, most competitive grade” sensor chip available — as well as a raft of RGB light effects.
RiotPwr is out with a new version of its iPhone game controller with a Lightning connector. This mimics the design of Microsoft’s Xbox controller, and new version adds a pair of buttons needed to play many games.
Apple likes this accessory so much it just began offering it in the Apple Store, both online and brick-and-mortar locations.
After a couple of years of promises, one of the first consumer smart thermostats to support remote temperature and humidity sensors, the Honeywell Home T9, finally features support for Apple HomeKit and Siri voice control.
Not long ago I sold, gave away or trashed most of my possessions and moved across the U.S. Soon after arrival, I found my computer unresponsive. The ol’ HP Pavilion laptop stopped powering on reliably. So I borrowed a perfectly good Dell laptop from my brother and kept on writing, mainly for Cult of Mac. I just happened to be “between Macs” at the time. But now I have a brand new 14-inch M1 Pro MacBook.
Thanks to the swanky new Apple laptop plus a few other bits and pieces I quickly acquired, as of today I no longer wallow in a PC laptop pigsty (yeah, the photo above is genuine, though I swear it wasn’t always quite that messy). I’ve got a proper Mac computer setup for the first time in a while.
Apple launched a new service aimed at small businesses Wednesday. Now in beta, Apple Business Essentials bundles device management, Apple support and iCloud storage into flexible subscription plans for companies with up to 500 employees.
Cupertino also unveiled an app for the service that enables employees to install apps for work and request support.
Apple’s entrance into comprehensive small business tech services by subscription could spell trouble for companies already in the space, such as Jamf and Hexnode.
While the 2021 MacBook Pro brings back some classic ports, those who want USB-A need to turn to an adapter like the Satechi Pro Hub Mini. The accessory clips to the side of the notebook and adds a pair of USB-A ports and Ethernet.
Preorders began Wednesday with a 25% discount until the launch.
The new MacBook Pro lineup is an exceptional upgrade over its predecessors, with new M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets that offer more mobile computing power than ever before. And big companies are scrambling to reap the benefits.
The likes of Reddit, Twitter and others are rolling out 2021 MacBook Pro units to employees so that they can take advantage of the massive performance gains. “Engineering hours are much more expensive than laptops,” one said.
Netflix Games is now available on iPhone and iPad, just over one week after making its debut on Android. Users can access all titles through the main Netflix app, but — as expected — they must be downloaded individually.
The service offers five games to begin with, including the two Stranger Things titles that were already available on iOS, and is available at no extra cost to those who already have a Netflix subscription.
Apple’s new iOS 15.2 beta gives iPhone and iPad users the option to scan for nearby AirTags and Find My devices that may be tracking their movements.
The beta adds a new “Items That Can Track Me” button to the Find My app. Tapping it will display a list of “Unknown Items” — if there are any nearby. The app then provide users with instructions on how to disable anything that shows up.
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Apple to add third-party payment options to the App Store by December 9, after denying the company’s motion for a stay in Fortnite developer Epic Games’ case against Cupertino.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said the motion, which argued that Apple needed time to implement the changes, was based on “a selective reading of the Court’s findings” and “ignores everything” in favor of an injunction.
Our latest giveaway is from BluShark, maker of high-quality watch straps. Three lucky winners will each win a $100 BluShark gift card to buy Apple Watch bands.
BluShark bands comes in a variety of materials, including leather, canvas, silicone, knit weave and Cordura. If you win, you can keep the gift card all for yourself and/or buy something for a friend. Whatever you do, make sure you enter this giveaway for your shot at winning.
Apple is reportedly walking back a policy that might have put many small phone repair shops out of business. It promised to stop disabling Face ID on iPhone 13 units that have had their screen replaced by anyone other than Apple-authorized techs.
The change will come in the form of a software update.
Starting with iOS 15.2, iPhones will be able to detect if an iPhone or iPad user gets or sends a text with sexually explicit photos. The goal is to protect children from sexual predators.
The feature is optional and uses on-device machine learning so that Apple does not have access to the images.
Once you get an Apple Watch, you may be tempted to buy a charging dock for it. But folks on Reddit.com are happy to show off how they saved some money by constructing charging docks out of their beloved Lego building bricks.
All you need is the USB charging cable and puck that came with your Apple Watch and the imagination to make something that hides it while charging the wearable.
The Apple Holiday Gift Guide 2021 is out with suggestions for phones, computers, audio accessories and exercise gear for a variety of people on your shopping list.
As a bonus, Apple is offering downloadable templates to make personalized holiday cards.
Tim Cook revealed in an interview on Tuesday that he owns cryptocurrency and sees it as a “reasonable” way to diversify his portfolio. The Apple CEO also admitted that Cupertino is “looking at” ways cryptocurrency could one day work with Apple Pay, or be used to buy Apple products.
However, if it’s investment advice you’re after, you can look elsewhere.
Logitech’s new Pop collection hopes to make dark, drab desks a thing of the past. Both its Pop Keys keyboard, which features real mechanical keys, and the Pop Mouse sport quirky designs with bright and colorful finishes.
Prices start at $39.99, and they work great with Apple devices, including Mac and iPad. You can order yours this month.
Apple brought back the MagSafe charger for its newest MacBook Pro models — much to the delight of long-time fans who have appreciated the proprietary charging port in the past. And although it might be faster now, Cupertino has spoiled one of the biggest things that made MagSafe charging so great.
2021 MacBook Pro adopters are taking to Reddit and other online forums to complain that MagSafe’s new magnets are too damn strong.
It’s your last chance to enjoy SwitchEasy’s latest flash sale, offering up to 40% off all its cases and accessories for iPhone, Apple Watch, and more through the Cult of Mac Store.
This discounts end at 11:59 p.m. today, so enjoy them while you can!
Apple TV+ is a small player in the streaming video service competition with only 4% of the U.S. market. Still, it’s beating out some rivals even if it’s well behind the front runners.
The service has reportedly been growing throughout 2021 … not a claim all its competitors can make.
Coincidentally, our last Setups post concerned itself with proper ergonomics, and today’s sticks with the theme. On Friday we wrote about a person making a comfortable and productive workstation out of little more than a laptop. This time, someone has gone “ergo everything” on an M1 MacBook Pro rig with a big external monitor and a nice set of peripherals, furniture and accessories.
Apple today confirmed that it will continue to accept App Store submissions over the holiday period for the first time.
The company usually takes a short break in December, during which App Store submissions are closed and developers must scramble to get their updates out. That changes this year, but Apple warns that reviews may be delayed.